As with all major holidays, Easter has its own culinary traditions. In Bermuda, hot cross buns and codfish cakes on Good Friday are a “must,” while the Easter Sunday menu (for those who don’t go to brunch) is not quite so specific. This is because people from different cultures bring their own traditions to the table. Many Bermudians like to revisit some of the Christmas fare — roast turkey and cassava pie — while others choose roast lamb because of its religious association with the Paschal Lamb.

Among the Portuguese, a special version of Egg Bread features whole eggs in their shells set into the dough and baked.

Usually, the main Easter meal at home include relatives and friends beyond the immediate family circle, and often this extends to the traditional codfish and banana breakfast as well.

However you choose to celebrate, these are some traditional Bermuda recipes to enjoy, as well as some useful vegetable recipes to accompany the lamb:

CODFISH AND BANANA BREAKFAST

[box] 2 lbs. boneless, skinless salt cod

[box] 2 cups medium-thick white sauce

[box] [1/2] tsp. prepared mustard

[box] [1/2] tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Serve with:

[box] Peeled, boiled potatoes

[box] Avocado pear, sliced

[box] Whole bananas, peeled

[box] 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

[box] Parsley, chopped

SOAK codfish overnight in cold water, changing water several times. Next morning, pour off water and rinse cod. Cut into serving portions and place in a large frying pan with fresh water. Bring almost to the boil. Pour off water and rinse again. Then cover cod with fresh milk and simmer gently until cooked (about 15-20 minutes).

Meanwhile, boil potatoes separately, and also make white sauce, flavouring it with mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Add chopped eggs. Serve on a plate with potatoes and banana. Pour white sauce over all. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Finish presentation with sliced avocados.

Note: Some prefer omitting the white sauce, instead using a mixture of olive oil, mustard, chopped eggs and a few drops of sherry peppers.

CODFISH CAKES <$>

[box] 1 lb. cooked boneless codfish, flaked

[box] 3 cups mashed potato

[box] 1 egg

[box] [1/2] tsp. pepper

[box] 1 tsp. seasoning salt

[box] [1/4] tsp. thyme leaves

[box] 1 lb. chopped parsley

BEAT egg in a bowl. Add flaked codfish and mashed potato. Mix well. Add seasonings, onion and parsley. Mix well. Form into patties. Dust with flour and fry until golden brown.

HOT CROSS BUNS

[box] 1 cup milk

[box] 1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

[box] 2 tsp. salt

[box] [1/2] cup shortening

[box] 1 tsp. sugar

[box] [1/2] cup lukewarm water

[box] 2 pkgs. yeast

[box] 1 egg, beaten

[box] 1 egg, separated

[box] 1 tsp. cinnamon

[box] 1 tsp. nutmeg

[box] 1 tsp. ginger

[box] 5 to 5 [1/2] ups all-purpose flour

[box] 1 cup brown raisins

SCALD milk and pour into large bowl. Add brown sugar, salt, and shortening. Stir until shortening melts. Cool to lukewarm. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl dissolve one teaspoon sugar in lukewarm water. Over this, sprinkle yeast. Let stand ten minutes. Stir briskly with fork. Add to milk mixture. Add beaten egg and egg yolk. Add spices. Beat in 2 [1/2] cups flour. Then beat in raisins. Then gradually beat in the remaining flour.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead eight to ten minutes. Shape into a smooth ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled — approximately 1 [1/2] hours. Punch down and shape into 18 to 20 buns. Place on greased baking sheets. Let rise until double — 45 to 60 minutes. Beat egg white with one tablespoon of water and brush over top of buns. Slash top of bun to form a cross. Preheat over to 400 degrees F. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until done.

>CASSAVA PIE <$>

[box] 8 lbs. cassava

[box] [3/4] lb. butter

[box] [1/2] cup flour

[box] 2 tbsp. salt

[box] 1 tsp. nutmeg

[box] 8 eggs

[box] 3 cups sugar

[box] 2 tsp. baking powder

[box] 1 tbsp. cinnamon

[box] 1 cup sherry wine

[box] Filling: 4 lbs. chicken

[box] 2 lbs. pork

[box] Salt, pepper, thyme to taste

BOIL chicken and pork in seasoned water until tender. Cool. Remove any bones from chicken. Break up chicken and pork into small pieces. Reserve stock.

Cream butter and sugar, add beaten eggs. Add cassava and mix well. Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Combine with cassava mixture, add sherry and mix well. Line bottom and sides of a deep pan with some of the mixture; add meat mixture. Add 1 cup of stock. Cover with cassava mixture and bake in slow oven for four hours.

PORTUGUESE SWEET BREAD

[box] 5 lbs. flour

[box] 1 [3/4] lbs. sugar

[box] 18 eggs

[box] [3/4] lb. vegetable shortening

[box] [3/4] cup lukewarm milk

[box] 1 tbsp. salt

[box] 1 tbsp. lemon juice

[box] [1/2] lb. butter 2 pkgs. yeast

BEAT eggs with sugar. Dissolve yeast in [1/2] cup warm water. Rub butter and shortening into flour, salt, and lemon juice. Add egg and sugar mixture, then the milk and the dissolved yeast. Mix well and knead as ordinary bread. Let rise three to four hours. Knead again and put into loaf pans. Let rise again two to three hours. Brush tops of loaves with a little sugar dissolved in water. Bake in slow over (250 degrees) for one hour.

Easter tradition: Line a pie plate with bread dough and place two strips over it in the form of a cross. In each of the four spaces between the strips place an uncooked egg, shell and all. While the bread is baking, the egg will be cooking too.

Serve bread cut into wedges; the eggs are shelled and eaten with it.

B>EASTER ROAST LAMB <$>

[box] 5 lb. leg of boneless lamb

[box] 1 cup olive oil

[box] [1/2] cup red wine vinegar

[box] 2 tbsp. minced garlic

[box] [1/2] cup fresh, chopped parsley

[box] [1/2] cup fresh, chopped dill

[box] 4 tbsp. fresh, rubbed oregano

[box] Black pepper

WHISK together oil, vinegar, garlic, parsley, dill, oregano, and pepper. Butterfly the lamb and pepper generously on both sides. Cut some slits in the meat. Marinate the lamb for two to 24 hours.

Drain marinade off and put lamb in 425 degree F. oven in shallow roasting pan for about 45

ROAST MIXED VEGETABLE MED<$>

[box] Pumpkin

[box] Red, green, yellow peppers

[box] Onions

[box] Parsnips

[box] Carrots

[box] Zucchini

[box] Celery

[box] Irish potatoes

[box] Sweet potatoes

[box] Extra light olive oil

[box] Herb of your choice or salt-free seasoning

[box] Black pepper

CHOOSE any combination of fresh vegetables from the above, or use all of them. Peel where appropriate, and cut into chunks or quarters. Rinse and dry. In a large bowl combine olive oil with herb seasoning, pepper and (if desired) salt-free seasoning. Toss vegetables in the mixture to coat, then transfer to roasting pan and bake at 350 degrees F. for an hour, or until vegetables are done when tested with a fine skewer or knife tip.

BERMUDA LOQUAT PIE

[box] 4 cups loquats

[box] 1 cup sugar

[box] [1/2] cup water

[box] 2 tbsp. flour

[box] [1/2] tsp. cinnamon

[box] [1/8] teaspoon allspice

[box] [1/8] tsp. salt

[box] [1/8] teaspoon ginger

[box] Pastry to line and cover 8-9-inch pie dish

PREPARE pastry. Wash and quarter loquats, removing seeds. Combine loquats and water and cook till tender, about 15 minutes. Sift dry ingredients together, then stir into loquats. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens, remove from heat and partially cool. Line pastry dish with half the pastry. Pour in loquat mixture. Cover with top crust and bake at 450 degrees F for ten minutes, then 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.