I’m a New York-raised Italian Catholic, and my family’s inherited religious-cultural neuroses inform our meals every bit as much as the WASPs next door. This is particularly true at Easter, where centuries of European immigration have shaped the culinary traditions in New York.

The Easter feast became a religiously sanctioned opportunity to indulge

The Easter feast became a religiously sanctioned opportunity to indulge

For my family, the Easter feast typically includes a herb-crusted leg of lamb (American only; New Zealand lamb is far too gamey), deviled eggs, rich scalloped potatoes, honey-glazed carrots, some fresh spring vegetables and an absurdly decadent chocolate dessert – all washed down with a robust Etna Rosso, generously poured. While both Catholic and Protestant Easter traditions share a celebratory spirit, our feasts reflect subtle but meaningful differences in theological symbolism.

For Catholics observing Lent, the Easter meal is a deliberate breaking of the fast, and so dinner often features indulgent foods that were restricted: fatty........

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