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Sports blog: Stamford Sports Scene

This year, Easter Sunday is April 12. Easter is a great time to celebrate the fresh spring air and warm sunshine that gives us a feeling of hope and new beginnings. Our thoughts turn to bright tulips, purple crocus and bunches of yellow daffodils. We find ourselves day dreaming of spending endless hours in the garden, deciding on a color scheme for the flower beds and just sitting back to relax, take a breath and enjoy this wonderful season.

Every Easter weekend our father and grandfather would run a small flower stand at our family grocery store, the Mohegan Market in Stratford. Uncle John, dressed so handsomely in his starched white butchers coat, would be in his office frying up some of the fresh sausage he and cousin John just made themselves, on a make-shift grill he put together. Aunti Lou would be gathering the freshest hard rolls (just off the bakery truck) to put together the best sandwich this side of town. Papa Tony would talk about that sandwich for years to come. To this day the smell of fresh spring flowers and roasted meats cooking at the local grocery stores brings us right back to those wonderful days gone by.

Back at home, mom was preparing an elaborate holiday breakfast. The table was perfectly set with the most beautiful tablecloth. Freshly baked Hotcross buns, just made from Luigis Bakery in Bridgeport, colorful Easter egg breads, fluffy scrambled eggs, buttered toast and of course the hottest freshly perked coffee were all set in place on the table and ready for us to enjoy. Didn't Mom ever get tired?

Preparations for the Easter Dinner began soon after breakfast was finished. We always had a baked ham, crusted with brown sugar and pineapple and a roasted to perfection leg of lamb with all the trimmings. The leg of lamb always took center stage. Mom would begin by putting slits into the meat and stuffing them with slivers of parmesan cheese and fresh garlic, season it with salt and pepper and roasted it for hours. Dinner was always a success.

Now it was time for dessert which we called "Coffee An." Nana would always make her ricotta pie, traditionally served at this time of year, a sicilian recipe, thick and rich and lightly sweetened with a hint of vanilla and cinnamon. Also every year, she would surprise us with her Easter basket cookies, a vanilla cookie in the shape of an easter basket with a hard boiled egg tucked inside of the basket. The cutest baby chick was formed and set on top. The Easter holiday is a time to share a great meal, spend time with family and friends and be enjoyed by all. So to all of you, happy eating!


Roasted Leg of Lamb studded with Parmesan Cheese and Garlic

1 (6-9 pound) leg of Lamb

Wedge of Parmesan cheese, cut into slivers

1 bunch of parsley, use 1 leaf in each slit

4 cloves of garlic, sliced into slivers

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup wine

Gravy

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup red wine

1 cup chicken stock

Pan juices, skimmed

2 tablespoons butter creamed with 2 tablespoons flour

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Rub the roast with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. With the tip of a small sharp knife, puncture the lamb all over. Insert slivers of parmesan cheese, garlic and leaves of the parsley, pushing into the puncture gently. Pour red wine over the roast. Place roast in roasting pan. Its about 20 minutes of cooking time per pound or until meat thermometer reaches 160 degrees for medium, 170 degrees for a well done roast. Remove roast from oven and let rest, lightly covered, for 20 minutes before carving.

If making a gravy, skim fat from the juices and strain through a fine sieve. In skillet, heat a little more olive oil over moderate heat and saute garlic until tender. Add a 1/2 cup more of the red wine and simmer. Add strained pan juices and 1 cup chicken stock and simmer until reduced by half. Whisk 1/2 of the butter/flour mixture and simmer until thickened. Add more of the butter mixture if needed. Taste and season again if necessary. Enjoy!


From Joy and Judy, the Twice Baked Twins

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Aaron Levy from Stamford is going to be soloing with the Fairfield County Children