It's Pasquetta in Italy. Easter Monday is lots of fun. It's traditional to have a picnic or otherwise run around al fresco. People often say: "Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi." or "Christmas with your family, Easter with the family and friends of your choice." Yay! Sadly, we are not in Italy today. But GG & her editor count as Pasquetta pals. Hope you had fun yesterday. Read Bleeding Espresso's Still Celebrating (Pasquetta) from last year. We were going to include a good recipe for pastiera but can't find the one we used in years past & those popping up in a search are just plain weird. There aren't people around this year to dig in, so we'll not make it. It's full of flavors , such as orange-blossom water, that remind us of Greece & the eastern Mediterranean, reflecting the region's heritage. GG's editor has photographs of still-standing date palm gardens, intarsia boxes, & other mementos that remind us of the area's ever-present history. Now, ciao-meow, because we have eggs to dye. xoxo(via scan/ Gourmet magazine/April 2006/by John Kernick)