Mix and match an Easter feast

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A baked ham at Easter just isn’t a ham unless it’s slicked up in a sweet and spicy glaze. And please, don’t even think about using the seasoning packet that often comes attached to the packaging. It’s so easy to make a really terrific glaze from scratch with a mix of pantry ingredients.

If you pair it with a spicy rub, it’s double the pleasure and a guaranteed way of making sure the leftovers will sing when you slide the meat between two slices of bread in a sandwich.

Fruity flavors, especially in combination with spicy flavors, pair really well with pork. So here, we pair a Jamaican jerk rub with another taste of the islands — pineapple juice sweetened with brown sugar. Minced chipotle chilies in adobo give the glaze an extra kick.

It’s not traditional, but it’s pretty finger-licking delicious.

Spicy-sweet and accompanied by pineapple, this glazed ham offers a taste of the islands.

Photo by Gretchen McKay/Post-Gazette

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Baked ham is delicious on its own, but it can look pretty lonely when sliced onto a plate. It really needs a companion if it’s being served as part of a buffet. An easy solution is a good mustard sauce.

Mustard seeds have been used for thousands of years — the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all used them to spice up meat and fish dishes. It wasn’t until the mid-1850s that the world was introduced to the queen of mustards, Dijon, which is more tangy than the yellow versions because it’s made with verjuice, the acidic juice of unripe grapes, instead of vinegar.

And on Easter, fancy beats pedestrian every time.

Tangy and sweet, this elegant mustard sauce only gets better after a few days in the refrigerator, and is perfect for spreading on leftover ham sandwiches.

This sauce can be prepared ahead of time, and is a tasty dipping sauce for chicken fingers.

Photo by Gretchen McKay/Post-Gazette

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The spicy condiment known as chutney originated in India, and can be made with all kinds of fresh fruits. Think jam, only savory, because vinegar is involved. It’s also easier to make because the cook doesn’t have to worry about slow-boiling it with pectin to a perfect consistency.

Peach chutney is a natural for Easter because it complements the smoky, salty flavor of a slow-baked ham. True, you won’t find the best peaches in Pittsburgh in April — those come in July from Chambersburg — but the spring versions from Chile aren’t bad if you’re patient and allow them to ripen until they’re soft and aromatic.

For added spice, you can add a pinch of jerk seasoning or diced chilies. You also could throw in some golden raisins or a small knob of ginger that’s been peeled and julienned. Be careful not to overcook the peaches. You want them softened and beginning to release their juices, but the fruits still need to hold their shape.

If you want the chutney to have some heat, add seeded and diced jalapenos or habanero peppers.

Photo by Gretchen McKay/Post-Gazette

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Pea soup is usually made from dried beans, and often noted for its unappetizing, swampy brownish green color. That’s probably why so many cooks spiff it up with a handful of chopped ham. If the soup is not going to draw you in with your eyes, at least you can count on your tongue to hunger for the smoky flavor of pork.

It doesn’t have to be so.

Spring is fresh pea season, and the bright-green veggie lends itself to a lighter and cleaner-tasting version of that classic preparation. Plus, they’re so much prettier.

For a scene-stealing starter to your Easter meal, pair the peas with tender spring spinach and gently cook them in a good-quality broth with scallions. Forgo the traditional crouton garnish in favor of another colorful nod to spring — the underappreciated radish. Slow roasted with a pinch of salt, they lose a bit of their peppery edge and their bright poppy-red skin turns to a beautiful pink.

Spring never tasted so sweet.

One pound of peas in their pods yields about 1 cup of shelled peas. If you are unable to find freshly harvested English peas, substitute good-quality frozen peas.

Photo by Gretchen McKay/Post-Gazette

Savory Cashew Cream

1½ cups raw cashews, soaked overnight and rinsed

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

Place cashews, vinegar, salt and ⅔ cup water in blender and blitz until smooth.

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Asparagus for many is the king of spring vegetables. Bright and crunchy, the fresh-from-the-earth stalks are as delicious in salads and stir-frys as they are steamed and served with a tangy vinaigrette.

It shines in a tart, because the grass-green stalks can be prettily lined up like soldiers on a buttery pastry crust, and also because its preparation is so effortless.

Some tips: The thickness of an asparagus spear has nothing to do with its age, but it can affect how you decide to cook it. Fat spears are more tender than thin spears and lend themselves to higher-heat methods like broiling or grilling. Pencil-thin stalks are a bit snappier, and makes them ideal for blanching, serving cold or eat raw in salads.

Asparagus should appear moist, but not wet. Look for stalks that look freshly cut and bright instead of dry and woody; the budding tips should be fully closed.

When choosing asparagus, look for bright green or violet-tinged spears with firm but tender stalks — you shouldn’t be able to bend them.

Photo by Gretchen McKay/Post-Gazette

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Spring salads are like a breath of fresh air after a long and dreary Pittsburgh winter.

Instead of the tasteless crunch of iceberg lettuce or the bitter chewiness of packaged kale, fill up on tender lettuces, fresh asparagus and crunchy sugar snap peas. You would be eager to graze.

You may not have a lettuce garden, but farmers markets and grocery stores this time of year offer a variety of baby greens and cresses along with bunches of delicate fresh herbs such as parsley and mint. Mix and match as many of the veggies as you like, and dress them with a classic vinaigrette. Without that classic mix of oil and citrus, your salad will be a boring bowl of vegetables.

As the editors of Cooking Light advise, “Start with a handful of peak produce, and you'll have a great salad every time.” Not to mention a dish that celebrates the bounty of spring.

Salad greens should be fresh and crisp. Avoid greens with limp, withered leaves that have brown or yellow edges. Ditto on dark or slimy spots.

Photo by Gretchen McKay/Post-Gazette

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A perfect accompaniment for baked ham are scalloped potatoes, which go from thinly sliced raw potatoes to soft saucy ones when baked with cream.

In addition to being thinly sliced, it’s important to use heavy cream because the cream won’t break down under high heat and curdle. The calorie-conscious can cut the fat some by lightening the cream with half-and-half or a little bit of whole milk.

“It is comfort food, and so this is not the time to cut the fat,” says Emily Tyra, editor of the Taste of Home magazine.

Russets are ideal for this dish as they can hold their shape and have the right texture when cooked in the sauce. To cut cooking time for the potatoes, simmer them briefly in cream before they go into a baking dish.

It’s best to keep the seasoning simple for scalloped potatoes, Ms. Tyra says, after all it is a simple dish. That means salt, freshly ground pepper, garlic (”even while making the roux”), nutmeg (but not too much) and a little bit of ground mustard (”it should not be overwhelming but just enough to make the potatoes better”).

She prefers white cheeses such as Parmesan or sharp cheddar. “I think the scallops look pretty when they are snowy white with tinges of golden brown.”

To maximize the garlic flavor in this dish, I used a technique that I learned from my German friend. She simply rubs a whole garlic clove on the baking dish before placing the potatoes in it.

Photo by Lake Fong/Post-Gazette

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There are no bells and whistles when it comes to simple recipes such as roasting potatoes, says Julia Collin Davison, editorial director of America’s Test Kitchen, as they cannot hide behind anything.

But she has a tip. Don’t just scrub the spuds to remove the dirt, toss them with olive oil and seasonings, and roast them uncovered in the oven.

“Take the time to find foil to cover the potatoes,” she says. “Otherwise the exterior will be tough and leathery and the interior won’t be creamy.” The foil allows the potatoes to steam.

After about 20 minutes, remove the foil and return the spuds to the oven to get a crispy skin. The combination of covering and uncovering the potatoes is key.

New potatoes such as the thin-skinned red varieties and fingerlings are spring delights and ideal for roasting as they can hold their shape. Baby Yukon golds would work, too, even though they have a slightly soft interior, Ms. Collin Davison says.

If you want to amp up the flavor, dress the potatoes with cheese, lemon or herbs that go with the rest of the meal. She prefers hardier herbs such as rosemary, thyme and oregano, as they can better handle the oven heat. But remember at the end of it all, she says, you also want the flavors of the potato to shine through.

The garlic is minced to paste here so that the maximum flavor is extracted. “The more you cut garlic, the more flavor it has,” says Julia Collin Davison of America’s Test Kitchen.

Photo by Lake Fong/Post-Gazette

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A hash brown-sausage casserole is perfect for Easter brunch as it can be assembled the night before and kept in the refrigerator. All you would need to do after church is to stick the casserole into the oven while you put the finishing touches on the rest of the meal and set the table.

Susan Westmoreland, food director of Good Housekeeping magazine, says the shape of the potato doesn’t matter as long as the pieces are approximately of the same size and thickness. “The cooking time does matter,” she says. “I’m a big fan of par-cooking large amounts of potatoes for a casserole.”

For a holiday crowd, she recommends baking the hash brown potatoes and sausage in a shallow (2- to 3-inch deep) ceramic or glass dish.

Finally, it is best to let the potato casserole rest for about 10 minutes before serving. This will let the liquid settle and thicken, making it easier to serve. Don’t worry, she says, about it turning cold. “It will stay very hot for at least 20 minutes.”

Any type of sausage — Italian, kielbasa, andouille, bratwurst or chorizo — works here.

Photo by Lake Fong/Post-Gazette

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Classic lemon bars typically have a shortbread crust — flour, powdered sugar, a little bit of salt and a good amount of butter. But bakers have been putting that tradition aside by making crusts with chocolate, shredded coconut or even dried lavender.

Similarly bakers don’t always stick to the traditional filling of lemon juice (and sometimes lemon zest), sugar and eggs. They add crystallized ginger and almonds and also herbs such as rosemary or thyme.

Emily Tyra, editor of the Taste of Home magazine, says for a classic lemon bar, “the shortbread crust should be really buttery and the lemony filling tart and custardy.”

To jazz up flavors, she says she would add cardamom or chopped candied ginger to a shortbread crust or simply substitute gingersnap cookie crust for a shortbread and triple the citrus level by combining lemon, lime and orange zests.

Although most lemon bar recipes call for whole eggs, if they are whisked along with extra yolks, or use only yolks, the bars will have an eye-popping sunny hue and a silky richness. For a springy zing, add grated fluffy lemon zest. To zest a lemon, rub it against a grater with very small holes, rotating the fruit as soon as the white pith appears.

The tartness of lemon balances perfectly with the creaminess of the coconut.

Photo by Lake Fong/Post-Gazette

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The gooey butter cake was born in the 1930s in St. Louis completely by accident. Legend goes that a German baker put in too much sugar, butter or shortening, or all three, when making an ordinary coffee cake. But since it was the Depression, he didn’t want to nor could he afford to just toss it out and so he tried to sell the sugary sticky mess. And sell it he did, and many more after that, as there were plenty of takers for the sweet bright yellow squares.

At Park Avenue Coffee, which has four locations in St. Louis, owner Dale Schotte uses a family recipe for its version that, he says, has a “distinctive crust and distinctive filling” and was first made by his great-grandmother. A yellow cake crust is topped with a filling made with cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar.

“The cake is very dense,” he says. “It is like you take a yellow cake and step on it because the dough is pressed into the baking pan.”

The coffee shop offered the traditional cake when it opened in 2006, and today offers 72 other flavors. The original one is still the top seller, Mr. Schotte says, and it is followed by triple chocolate and white chocolate raspberry. The cakes come in two sizes and cost $15.99 (serves 9) and $21.99 (serves 12).

A perfect gooey butter cake bar needs to have a crusty edge and chewy middle. If you want to enjoy the maximum gooeyness, it’s best to consume it the day it is baked.

The key to a gooey butter cake bar is to make sure not to overbake it.

Photo by Lake Fong/Post-Gazette

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Carrots are believed to have been used in cakes since medieval times, when sweeteners were expensive and scarce, because these readily available vegetables turned sweet when they were cooked. In her cookbook “American Cake,” Anne Byrn writes that one of the earliest carrot cake recipes printed in the U.S. was in “The Neighborhood Cook Book” by the Council of Jewish Women in Portland, Ore., in 1912. But carrot cake as we know it today came into being in the 1970s.

When it comes to converting cakes to bars, Casey Renee, head pastry chef at Whitfield at the Ace Hotel Pittsburgh in East Liberty, says she does not apply any rules. “You just need a clear vision,” she says.”Otherwise, you could lose the original idea.” So she is all for making a coconut cake into a bar and crowning it with tropical fruits or creating a layered bar with a flour-butter crust and topping it with coconut filling and candied coconut.

However, she says, bakers do need to rethink the amount of leavening and number of eggs when they convert recipes, as the bars are not as fluffy as cakes.

For an Easter look, top the bars individually by sprinkling orange sanding sugar in the shape of carrots and using green jimmies for the leaves.

Photo by Lake Fong/Post-Gazette