HAPPY HOLIDAY, WHATEVER YOU MAY BE CELEBRATING

For reasons that are still not entirely clear to me, Easter seems to be a very important Christian holiday  \It is also one of the Jewish religion’s most sacred and widely observed holidays, Passover (Hebrew: Pesach) commemorates the story of the Israelites’ departure from ancient Egypt, which appears in the Hebrew Bible’s books of Exodus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, among other texts. Oddly, many of us who celebrate holidays do so because they are there to be celebrated, not because we are aware of the history or cling to it.  Let's face it, it is a day off from work and time to be spent with dear family or friends.  (often times friends are dearer than family.)

With that, explore the history if that is what interests you....Google is full of references.  I for one will enjoy a great meal with people who want me with them and with whom I wish to be. You might also check out the History of the Goddess Ostara and Easter Eggs.

Have a wonderful day regardless of whether you celebrate one of the many things to which the day is dedicated.  I rather like the Easter Bunny, chocolate versions included, and the thrill in the faces of children when they receive their Easter baskets loaded with goodies.  For too short a time their brains allow them to fall for those adult fabrications like the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, and man in the image of God.

HAGGIS

In Scotland there is a traditional item called Haggis which has not been allowed import to the United States for forty years because of the inclusion of sheep lung parts.  Americans are under the illusion that the meat items served to Americans do not include organ parts.  The Scottish government is seeking to overturn the ban on Haggis import.  One would assume that people could choose (or not) to buy or eat it if that becomes the case, just as they would if they went to
Scotland. See BBC article describing this more fully.

Haggis is a dish containing sheep's 'pluck' (heart, liver and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally simmered in the animal's stomach for approximately three hours. Most modern commercial haggis is prepared in a casing rather than an actual stomach. I'm of Greek descent.  If you think that the Scots are revolting cooks, you should try the Easter soup  called 'mayeritsa'.  That is another whose ingredients you are best left to wonder about.  The Greeks really figured out a way to use the whole lamb; all that wasn't barbecued went into the soup  It uses lamb lungs, liver, hearts and feet, though many Greek cooks also clean and use intestines, as well.

 Note:  This soup is traditional and ritualistic: while a freshly slaughtered spring lamb is roasted for the main course of the Easter feast, this soup, which starts the meal, is supposed to be made out of the remaining parts--the lungs, liver, heart, and intestines cook in a broth made from the lamb's head. Well, this recipe just isn't that pure. On the other hand, it really is lovely--like a savory rice pudding with little bits of lamb and parsley and a lemony tang. Just ignore the fact that you're using cornstarch to approximate the thickening you would have gotten from the entrails. This is a soup that is all about the joy of redemption, the richness of Christian living in Mediterranean communities, and just plain good eating. Serve hot to 4-6 people. It's also wonderful reheated--so long as you reheat carefully and don't curdle it.

For American palates, the recipe was modified as Haggis has also been.
Mayeritsa for Americans: 

• 1½ pounds of lamb on the bone
• 8 cups water
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 stalks celery, with leaves, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup rice
• 3 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 cup milk
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• salt and pepper to taste 

Haggis for Americans:  

Ingredients

• 1 sheep stomach
• 1 sheep liver
• 1 sheep heart
• 1 sheep tongue
• 1/2 pound suet, minced
• 3 medium onions, minced
• 1/2 pound dry oats, toasted
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried ground herbs

 I've purposely skipped the directions since I doubted there would be too many readers eager to try their hand at either recipe  .If I'm mistaken, just Google for the recipe.  These are not for the faint at heart about deviating from American cuisine.