Chiarello has expanded on that family heritage by creating his own Easter rituals centered around seasonal living - combined with his professional interest in artfully served meals and fresh produce. One of Chiarello's favorite Easter activities is gathering friends and family to dye Easter eggs naturally. Dyes from simple kitchen ingredients produce eggs in surprising variations of soft, subtle hues, as a change from the more commonly seen bright, pastel colors. You can use almost anything edible in your kitchen to color eggs, Chiarello has found. Add your coloring ingredient, then cover with a quart of cold water and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to fix the dye.
Return eggs to the pot for another half-hour.
If you don't eat them right away, you can store them, unshelled and with uncracked shells, in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks. Let me count the eggs. However, the ornamental and decorated Easter eggs enjoyed by Christians each year are the legacy of a variety of cultural traditions. In ancient China, Greece and Rome, eggs were offered as gifts celebrating spring or love. In the British Isles, colored eggs honored pagan deities.