24 March 2008

Cooking Culture.

I decided to take on another holiday. I survived serving my parents, grandma and younger brother Thanksgiving dinner. This time? I decided to take on Easter.

(flowers for my mom.)

At first I decided on doing a non-traditional Easter meal, and shake things up a bit. But then I had the following conversation with my grandma:


(the apron of non-tradition! smote by my grandma!)


Grandma: What are you serving for dinner?

Me: Well, I...

Grandma: (interrupting) You know that it's traditional to serve lamb or ham during an Easter meal. You don't have to, but...

Me: Lamb or Ham it is!

And so, I decided on the following menu:

brie and crackers (365 wholefood crackers with wheat germ do the trick)

small green salad (with cucumbers, carrots, red peppers, cranberries and cashews)

leg of lamb (marinated in a white wine and citrus with rosemary, thyme, and garlic)*

orzo salad (orzo rice with red peppers, roasted pine nuts, kalamata olives, flat parsley olive oil)*

green beans (with a bit of olive oil, kosher salt and fresh pepper)

carrot cake (brought by the lovely Mom Academic)

The most difficult part was prepping for everything, but once that was finished, things were pretty much a breeze. I actually have fun running around to various grocery stores to find the ingredients because even if the food is only passable, my family will still love me (as long as I don't make them deathly ill).

The roasted lamb was probably the most interesting thing to prepare, so I'll entertain you with that story. I picked up the leg from the grocery store and brought it home. On the day I roasted it, I had to let it sit for thirty minutes to get to room temperature. It looked like this:




Then I prepared the marinade with these ingredients.

Then I stuck the ingredients in a blender.


Then I had to creatively make a bag that would hold the leg of lamb!


Then the leg had to marinate overnight in the fridge. My copilot slept during the entire prep process. (Please excuse her unbrushed look.)


The next day, I put the lamb on the roasting rack put the meat thermometer in the lamb and when the lamb was close to 135 degrees (as the recipe called for), I was an idiot, touched the meat thermometer and burned my left thumb and index finger.



But in the end, it was all worth it as the lamb turned out very well. mmmmm. lambilicious. (Sorry Jenni!)


*lamb recipe by simple meals
*orzo salad by Rachel Ray via Megarita.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ok. I'd suspected that perhaps you might be uniquely talented if not even the holder of a lovely mind.

I wonder now if you might not be God-like.

I should point out that I'm particularly hungry right now and that I know better than to comment on a curious stomach.

I'll stop back after dinner and leave a far less creepy note if it seems the right way to go!

(Sorry but DAMN that sounds good!)

m.a. said...

Well, you are certainly welcome to comment again. And thank you for the compliment!

Anonymous said...

LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMB!

Brava, lady! I've never made a leg of lamb. It looks amazing, and marinade sounds delish! Brava! Brava!

(yum orzo!)

a little of this, a little of that... said...

There must be something about the joy of cooking that makes us forget that the bright, shiny metal object might be a bit hot after sitting in a hot oven. I am guilty of that as well (or was once with a lobster dish during my employ at a 'comfort food' (with lobster) joint).

On copilot - all I can think of is the 'Jesus is My Copilot' bumper sticker. Following this, I expect that your copilot arose early Sunday morning.

Casey said...

Why does it not creep people the hell out to eat a leg of lamb to celebrate Jesus death, burial, and resurrection? I mean, Jesus being a sacrificial lamb and so you eat a piece of lamb. That shit is not right.

The guy just came back from the dead, and we celebrate by eating one of his newly living legs.

Claven said...

Casey - Better eating his sacrficial leg than his body made of crackers. Excuse me, even as a heathen I have to duck this lightning bolt.

Essentially Me said...

I don't eat lamb but that sure does look yummy!

susan said...

Ooh, that is some lamby goodness right there. I've fallen so behind on my blog reading and am finally catching up (thanks, maternity leave!).