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I am new at this so I' ll ask a simple one

What are the meanings and significance of the items in the Easter Basket and is there a special meaning to the recipe for the Paska bread? I would like to be able to tell my grandchildren!

Thamk you and God Bless All

Dear Peter,

See this link:
http://www.melkite.net/Resources/EasterBasket.html

The paschal meal is heavy on meats, eggs, and dairy products since those have been avoided throughout Lent. It is customary to have the first food eaten be the egg, the sign of the resurrection, and traditionally the last non-Lenten food eaten before the fast.

Red Hard Boiled Eggs
Eggs are symbolic of the tomb which brought forth New Life. They are red for the Passion. It ties into St. Mary Magdalene whose lunch of eggs were turned blood red when she discovered the empty tomb.

Paska Bread
This traditional sweet, leavened, egg bread is symbolic of the sweetness of the New Covenant where we can have the joyous bread of the risen Christ. Sugar for sweetness, eggs for the resurrection from the tomb, leaven because it was not allowed under the Old Covenant, but we are now under the New Covenant with the Risen Christ.

Kielbasa, Ham, or other meats
Pork is served because it symbolizes the ending of the Old Covenant. Pork was not kosher.

Butter
Used on the Paska bread, the butter indicates the good things in life. It is frequently placed in a mold shaped like a lamb.

Chrin
Horseradish is reminiscent of the Passover meal. While the Jews remember the bitterness of slavery, we remember Christ's passion. It is often combined with beets to turn it a blood red color, also symbolic of Christ's passion.

Salt
It was the sign of a covenant. It was a measure of worth. We are all called to be the salt of the earth.

Cheese Dishes
Cheese is symbolic of the overabundance of the mercy of God and all the good things in life which come from Him.

Nut Rolls
A traditional dessert which is not too sweet, to remind us to be moderate in all things

Sirecz (Easter Cheese)
Served sliced and cold, this custard-like dessert also has a mild flavor to call us to temperance.

Sweet Wine
Wine, like the cheese and butter, is figurative of all the good things of life, and reminds us of the earthly gifts that come from God.

PASCHA BREAD
2 cakes yeast
2 C scalded milk
4 eggs, beaten
1 C sugar
1 tsp. Salt
� C melted butter
8 C flour
1 C white raisins � optional

1- Dissolve yeast in milk, which has been scaled but cooled to lukewarm.
2- Add 3 cups flour and � cup sugar.
3- Mix, cover, and let rise in a warm place, until double in bulk and bubbly; about 2 hours (that will vary depending on the area & warmth your dough is in).
4- Then add the rest of flour, sugar, salt, eggs, butter, raisins (use enough flour to make a light dough).
5- Knead well.
6- Allow the dough to rise again, while covered, in a warm place till double in bulk.
7- Turn out onto the board or table to knead again adding enough flour to make a medium dough. (more flour may have to be used)
8- Reserve a small piece of dough, enough to make your braids to go around the bread or for a cross in the center of the bread or both.
9- Shape into 2 round loaves, place in round pudding pans (I use corning or anchor hocking round baking dishes � you can find some good used ones in the thrift stores. Some folks use coffee tins, it is just what you prefer).
10- To make braids; roll the dough out between your hands long enough to make long stands � a bit thinner than a pencil, this too will rise when baked.
11- Then braid equal pieces of dough, like you would if you were braiding a little girl�s pigtails. This takes some practice but well worth the time and effort. We place a three-bar cross on our breads, with the braid encircling the bread. If you don�t have time to braid just use a straight rolled out piece of dough to form the cross in the center of the bread.
12- Let the dough rise for the last time, until double in bulk.
13- Next, gently brush top of loaves with beaten egg.
14- Bake 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes.
15- Brush bread with butter when removed from oven to keep the tops of the breads soft.


PASCHA BREAD #2
1 Tsp. Sugar 6 Eggs, well beaten
1 C. Sugar
1 C. lukewarm water
1/2 C. Melted butter or oleo/margarine
1 Large cake yeast
3 C. Scalded milk
1 Tsp. Sugar
9-12 C. Flour To these ingredients always add 1/4 cup oil & 1/2 cup
extra sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup white raisins
2 extra eggs and a lot of love.

Always bless your bread with the Sign of the Cross, praying
constantly asking God's blessings upon your labor.

Dissolve sugar in lukewarm water and sprikle yeast over it. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Combine luke-warm milk, eggs, salt, sugar, and melted butter in large kettle (add 1/4 c. oil, 1/2 c. more sugar, 2 tsp. vanilla), then add yeast mixture. Add 1 c. cooked cooled, drained raisins if desired. Add flour, a little at a time, kneading well after each addition until a soft dough is formed and the dough comes off your hands.

Cover, let rise in warm place until double in bulk.

Cut into 5 or 6 peices (reserving some dough to braid for the top of your loaf) knead, and shape into round loaves. I use round corning baking dishes, some folks even use coffee cans, some just shape them into balls and let them rise that way.

Let them rise again( this is the second time).

While the loaves are rising, take bits of dough and rolling it between your hands till you make 3 long ropes. Then take the ropes of dough and braid them together like you would a little girls pig tails.

Cut the ropes so you have enough to form a cross on top. I make a three bar cross in the center. I also have enough braid to circle the
top of the bread.

Brush the bread and braids with a beaten egg. Bake in a 350
degree oven for 35 - 40 minutes on the middle rack, which allows enough room
for you to get the bread easily out of the oven and not injure the braids.

Brush with butter when removing from oven, this will keep the top of your breads soft.



BRAIDED BREAD
I am pretty sure there is a better recipe for this, it is just the way I started doing it, when asked if I could make them...
1- Use this same recipe as above, following all the directions except the preparation for the pans.
2-After the second rise and your dough is now ready for the third rise, divide your dough into six pieces.
3- Make your pieces long, but the same length, and not thin.
4- Then braid the three pieces, so you have two breads.
5- Place on baking sheet.
6- Let raise until double in bulk.
7- While waiting for it to rise die an uncooked room tempature egg in red dye, dry it.
8- Place the red egg in the center of the bread to be baked. (it will cook as the bread bakes)
9- Brush the bread with beaten egg, but not the red egg.
10- When you remove it from the oven, brush with butter.

Now this is my own way of doing braided bread, there may be an easier way, but a lot of people asked me for it, and this is the way I figured out how to do it. So don�t be afraid to experiment!


TWO HOUR NUT ROLL
2 Cakes of yeast dissolved in 1/2 cup of water
6 Cups flour
1 Tsp. salt
3 Tbs. sugar
1/2 Cup butter or margarine
3 Eggs, beaten
1 Cup sour cream

Combine flour, salt, sugar, eggs, butter, and sour cream.
Add yeast and blend well (the less time you work dough with your hands the better off it is).
Divide dough into 4 parts.
Roll each part thin, as though for a jelly roll.
Spread nut filling or poppy seed filling.
Roll up and place on a greased pan.
Place a peice of aluminum foil between the rolls.
Allow them to rise for 1 hour or until double in size.
Brush the rolls with a beaten egg if desired
Bake in a 350 oven for 35 - 40 minutes
Brush with butter or margarine when you take them from the oven this will keep the loafs soft.

Nut Filling -

1 Lb. ground walnuts
1/2 Cup sugar
1/4 Cup honey
1/2 Cup warm milk

Sprinkle sugar over ground nuts in bowl.
Add honey and warm milk and mix.
More milk may be added to make it spread easier.
Brush rolled out dough with melted butter.
Then spread on nut filling.

Poppy Seed Filling -

1 Lb. ground poppy seed
1/2 Cup sugar
1/4 Cup honey
1/4 Cup warm milk
2 Tbs. butter

Combine poppy seed and sugar in bowl.
Add melted butter, honey, and warm milk and mix until well blended.
Brush dough with melted butter.
Spread on rolled out dough.

EASTER CHEESE - CIROK
12 Eggs, slightly beaten
1 Qt. of milk
1/2 Tsp. vanilla
Sugar to taste (between 1-5 Tbsp.)
Pinch of salt
Cheesecloth

Combine the above ingredients and cook over medium heat in double boiler until mixture curles.
Stir constantly!
Place in cheesecloth
Squeeze in cheesecloth
Tie to form a ball
Hang until well drained, for several hours
When cool remove from cloth
Refrigerate and enjoy!

HRUDKA - EASTER CUSTARD
2 Dozen eggs
1/2 Cup sugar
1 Tsp. vanilla
5 Cups milk
Need Cheesecloth and string
Place for either:
1. A weight for flat surface to make loaf shape
2. A place to hang the chesse as it drains for round shape

Beat eggs, add milk, sugar, vanilla and beat well.
Cook over low heat until mixture begins to curdle and only water remains.
Pour into cheesecloth, squeeze and tie tightly.
Place on flat surface with the weight on top for several hours for the loaf.
Or hang up and drain for a round type of cheese.


HRIN

4 cans whole baby beets beets (drained)
1/2 to 1 cup horseradish (depends on taste)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar

Cooking Instructions:
Put beets in blender or food processer and grind
mix with the horseradish
add other ingredients, mix
and store in jar in the refrigerator.

When the bread is braided, the three parts indicate the Trinity.

In the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the cheese and butter are representative of the eschatalogical age to come or heaven which is "the land of milk and honey".
Cheese and butter are made of milk. We also have honey cake to represent the honey at out meals.