This week-end celebrates Passover and Easter, which is especially exciting news for the egg industry. Poultry farmers are ringing up sales as the hard boiled egg is featured within both holidays.
For Passover, the egg is a symbolic food, as well as a key ingredient to a flour-less torte dessert. 
For Easter, the egg provides one of childhood’s happiest experiences:
Growing up in the South and the only Jewish family in the neighborhood, our parents allowed my siblings and I might participate in the fun of Easter through dyeing eggs and holding our own egg hunts in the backyard.
With our little record player on hand, we sang along to the one Easter song permitted, as we colored dozens of eggs.
When our friends returned from church and sat down to their Sunday dinner, my brothers and I were playing Peter Cottontail to our three little sisters, hiding the eggs over and over and over in the tall grass of the backyard.
I have wonderful memories of those days and wanted that same fun for my own little boys.
As one of a handful of Jewish families in our town, my husband and I did as my parents had done and sanctioned the egg hunt. To every hunt advertised, our boys were there, running about with their little baskets, gathering eggs and candies and having the most fun.
It’s been decades since those days, and with children no longer about, so has there been no egg coloring nor hiding nor hunting.
As I was setting the Passover table last night, and placing the ceremonial hard boiled egg into its spot on the Seder plate, I suddenly thought about a particular someone and whether her Easter might use a bit of whimsy and surprise.
So today, I purchased a bag of jelly beans, filling a vintage egg holder to overflowing. Adorable, yes, but missing something…
Ta Dah!
Holidays like Passover and Easter are so very rich in tradition. Whether matzo ball soup or a baked ham, hiding the matzo or hunting colorful eggs, what’s important is as we celebrate, not a seat at the table is empty.
Chocolate Almond Torte – recipe from Country Living magazine 
2 sticks plus 2 T 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter
unsalted butter cut a 10-inch springform cake pan.
into small pieces
9 oz good quality 2. In a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering
chocolate, chopped water, melt butter and chocolate together.
Stir until combined. Set aside to cool.
6 lg eggs, separated 3. In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks with
2/3 cup superfine sugar until pale and fluffy. Gradually pour
sugar melted chocolate into egg mixture, stirring
constantly. Fold in almonds. Set aside.
1/2 cup almonds, 4. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set
finely chopped on medium high speed, beat egg whites
until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into
prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes.
Torte will be very moist in the middle. Transfer torte to a wire rack and
cool completely in the pan, about 1 hour. Serves 10-12. Nicely topped
with whipped cream and fresh berries.
xxea
Tie One On…an apron, of course!