daily bread

Rain or snow, it is Easter! and spring!

My Italian mother, Mary Rose Catherine Benedict Tina Crisera Bush, makes many exquisite confections for this holiday, including chocolate and lemon glazed egg-shaped mini cakes and a pound cake in a lamb shaped mold, smothered in coconut dusted marshmallow cream icing.

My favorite? the authentic, buttery, Italian holiday "basket" bread, Casatielli -- melt in your mouth magic for Easter breakfast.

An added surprise? the egg tucked into the "bread basket" before baking!

Thanks, Mom, and Uncle Richard, for perfecting this recipe and passing it down from Grandma Marie (and Naples) to all of us!

excerpted from Mary Cooks, a food memoir (forever in progress) about my mom, Mary!