DELIGHTFUL EASTER MEALS -Egg drop soup

Heather Little-White, PhD, Contributor

Easter is a special time on the Christian calendar and foods relevant to the season will form part of a special fare on Easter Sunday. How can you make those meals special and memorable? You should serve your down-home meals in a simple setting to establish comfortable relationships more quickly. Home is the place of wonderful memories and establishing more memories this Easter should please everyone.

According to Webster's dictionary, 'hospitality' means "fond of entertaining guests in a friendly, generous manner - to be receptive and open". Being hospitable is said to be very dear to the heart of God. When you are being hospitable, it creates a wonderful opportunity to serve the Lord by showing friends and family what dining in a friendly and gracious setting can mean. That is the spirit of Easter.

Planning for company contributes to the sense of peace and orderliness you are trying to create. If serving food on the kitchen table, for example a hearty soup, add some crusty French bread and simple dessert. This easily gives a cosy feeling to family and friends.

You can have an attractive, delightful, simple setting which will make your guests feel special. You can use colourful place mats and napkins with a small vase of flowers or a small potted plant to make a nice setting. You may want to add the glow of many candles at dinnertime. You should set background music that will bring instant peace to the atmosphere. Put the music at a level that guests do not have to compete with the music while in conversation.

In the spirit of Easter, breads are commonly served because they represent a lighter fare free of meats. Bread is considered the 'source of life' whether it be pitta bread of Middle Eastern nations, the Santi bread of West Africa or tortillas of Latin America, bread is a basic food item regarded as the sustenance of life.

Soups are part of the light fare that could be served for Easter. Any soup is good for the soul, especially chicken soup, as the blend of flavours is excellent to stimulate the digestive juices. The best thing about soup is that it can be had any time of the day and it can be made ahead of time and set aside. Even if you wanted a change from eating Jamaican, authentic Chinese egg drop soup is always pleasing and brings the taste of the Orient into your home.

Egg Drop Soup

INGREDIENTS

1 whole chicken

1 carrot, cut in large chunks

1 onion, quartered

1 stalk celery, cut in large chunks

Water to cover

2 tbs cornstarch

1 egg

Scallions, sliced

METHOD:

1. Place chicken and vegetables in a pot and cover with water.

2. Cover and simmer on very low heat for 1 hour.

3. Remove chicken from stock. Cool and use for salads, casseroles, etc.

4. Discard the vegetables.

5. Put 4 cups of chicken stock in a smaller pot.

6. Stir in a small amount of stock into cornstarch. Then add mixture to stock in pot and stir while heating till it begins to thicken.

7. Slowly pour in one beaten egg and stir gently for a moment.

8. Remove soup from heat. Pour into bowls and garnish with sliced scallion tops.

Serves 4.

The success of your meals should not be based solely on what you serve but on how you serve it to your guests.

-Heather Little-White