Easter, Passover, and What We Bring to the Table
Notes from the Table Issue 4 - April 18, 2025
A time for pausing, remembering, and starting fresh.
Today and this week hold deep meaning across traditions. It’s Good Friday, a solemn pause before Easter’s celebration on Sunday, and it’s also Passover. While I didn’t grow up celebrating Passover, I’m honoring both holidays through food, reflection, and the people I’ve shared the table with.
I cooked three dishes that carry meaning in different ways: two are traditions I’ve chosen to continue, and one that was new to me. Each one reminded me that tradition can be both inherited and created, and that putting in the effort, even when the results aren’t guaranteed, is always worthwhile.
Palm Sunday Parmatieddi Pasta
I didn’t grow up with a Palm Sunday food tradition, but this year I wanted to start one. I made parmatieddi, a hand-rolled pasta from Teggiano in southern Italy. The shape is meant to resemble palm leaves to honor Palm Sunday, the day that marks Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem and begins Holy Week, the seven days leading up to Easter. The name (parma, meaning palm) refers either to the day itself or to the shape of the pasta.
As someone who married into a family with Italian roots, it felt like a meaningful way to connect with that heritage.
It didn’t go as planned. The dough was too dry, the pasta stayed firm, and mine didn’t look like palm leaves at all. For a moment, I didn’t want to write about it, but these are the stories that really matter. Not every dish feels like a win. Sometimes just trying is the most meaningful part. If we only share the polished moments, we lose what makes cooking so powerful: its honesty, intention, and humility.
Even though it’s Lent, parmatieddi is traditionally served with a rich meat ragu, a celebratory meal before the fast and quiet of Good Friday. That part was a total win. The meat sauce was rich, slow-cooked, and really satisfying.
There’s value in honoring new traditions, even when they’re imperfect. That’s the spirit behind Evercooked. It’s about making space for intention over perfection.
Good Friday Sourdough Hot Cross Buns, Two Ways
Hot cross buns are a small nod to British tradition that my husband grew up with. I always make two versions for Easter: one with the traditional raisins, and one with chunks of chocolate. They’re soft, fragrant, and so good warm from the oven. Easter celebrates rebirth and resurrection, and these buns always feel like a fresh start after a long winter.
Get the sourdough hot cross buns recipe
Passover Matzo Ball Soup
Passover commemorates the Jewish people’s liberation from slavery in Egypt. When I was younger, I lived with a Jewish family for a while and absorbed some of their traditions. One member of that family is still in my life and a reader of this newsletter. That connection means a lot to me.
This week I made matzo ball soup: clear broth and gentle dumplings. It’s a meal that always carries memory in every spoonful. It’s not a tradition I inherited, but it’s one I continue to honor.
Get the matzo ball soup recipe
What We Carry Forward
Whether you’re celebrating Easter, Passover, or simply sensing the season shift (even though it’s currently snowing in Colorado!), this is a time that invites reflection. What traditions do we inherit? Which ones do we build? What do we try, even when the result isn’t guaranteed?
Here at Evercooked, we carry forward:
- Creativity and courage in the kitchen
- An appreciation for food as memory
- The belief that trying is a form of honoring
- The reminder that we can always try again, in cooking and in life
If you’re exploring a tradition this week, trying something new, or reviving an old favorite, I’d love to hear about it. Share your story with the Evercooked community using #evercooked.
Or just follow along for stories, recipes, and the traditions that shape our kitchens:
Wishing you a happy Easter, a happy Passover, and a happy spring.
Warmly,
Rachael Kalicun
Creator of Evercooked