The Cherry Blossoms are in full bloom and the Tulips have sprung! April is full of special Holidays, events and produce. This weekend is Easter AND The Masters. Followed by Eid al-Fitr and Earth Day. This month I'll share some Easter Brunch Inspiration, a few Masters Tournament snacks, my favorite Arabic dessert and a list of produce to look out for. Stay tuned for my Berry Banana Bread with Lemon Cream Cheese Icing recipe.
Easter Brunch Inspiration
Easter, like every other holiday, is all about indulging with your family and friends. Growing up we always had ham, jerked spring chicken, peas, potatoes, rum pound cake and chocolate pudding. Here's a list of semi-easy items to add to your brunch spread:
Individual Spring Berry Trifles
Candied Bacon
Deviled Eggs
Pea Pesto Pasta Salad
Asparagus Salad with Manchago Cheese and Serrano Crisps
The Masters
When I heard the lunch items offered at The Masters were pimiento cheese and egg salad sandwiches I knew I had to add them to my Brunch display. As always I like to put a little Chef B twist on it by instead; rolling my homemade pimiento cheese into puff pastry dough, slicing and baking them into a flaky pinwheel. Egg salad is a favorite of mine but I jazz it up by toasting crustless bread [cut into rectangles] in butter and herbs then topping the toast points with my decadent egg salad. Add a pitcher of lemonade and some sun tea and you have yourself a themed Bruch. Arnold Palmers with a rum or vodka runner are a nice touch too.
Ed al-Fitr
I'm not an expert in Ramadan, Arabic culture or cuisine but there is one dessert that I absolutely crave and that's Knafeh. Working in the food service industry I have been lucky enough to work with a diverse group of people from all over the world. A very talented baker shared their way of making Knafeh with me and I've been hooked ever since. If you're unfamiliar with this special dessert let me fill you in. It's composed of shredded phyllo dough layered with sweetened cream (or cream of wheat), more shredded phyllo, a hardy helping of simple syrup (plain or rose water infused) and a dusting of ground pistachios then baked until crisp and golden brown. I enjoy making this but also found this dessert in the frozen isle of Trader Joe's. Do yourself a favor and sample some Knafeh.
Spring Produce
It's still early but with this warmer weather mixed with rainy days you may be able to spot some early wild strawberries. Keep an eye out for Morels, Asparagus, Nettles, Pea Shoots, ALL the herbs, Sorrel, Ramps, Fennel, Watercress and much more. If you're a forager snag a handful or two of buds from a Redbud tree. These flowers are edible and add a pop of color and texture to just about every meal. 'Tis the season for tender green salads sprinkled with Redbud flowers and fresh berries!
I hope you find a little inspiration from this post. Be sure to follow me on all Social Media platforms for BTS clips, quick recipes, tips and more! Stay tuned for my Berry Banana Bread Recipe with Lemon Cream Cheese Icing. Continue to eat well my friends.
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