For Christians, Easter is a deeply religious holiday that is not always celebrated worldwide as we do in this country. With Lent having passed, Easter becomes a feast day and the foods served are primarily those that have a unique symbolism to the day.
The word Easter derives from Eostre, a pagan goddess of spring and fertility. Foods such a lamb, all sorts of buns (breads), eggs and ham are standards for enjoyment on most American Easter dinner tables and history tells us why.
Let’s take the ham: Ham in this country is much more common as the Easter dinner centerpiece than lamb. During pagan times pigs were a symbol of luck and prosperity. They had been fattened over the summer, slaughtered in late fall and what wasn’t eaten, was salted and preserved. In spring it was time to bring out the hams.
Here are tips on how to heat a frozen ham, a great time saver, if using ham as your Easter entrée. Start by thawing ham in refrigerator for 24-48 hours. To keep the ham mois...