“I HAM WHAT I HAM”

Hello my Foodie Friends!

This weekend will draw upon many of our family traditions in what we make for the Easter Holiday. It could include: decorating Easter eggs, baking, gathering around a table with family and friends, fun events like egg rolling or the classic Easter Egg hunt! For many families, Easter would not be complete without attending a worship service at their church.

Growing up in an Italian, Catholic household my mother was very strict on making sure church and family were part of our Easter celebration. I can remember as a child, dressing in my best suit attire to attend Easter morning church services. Getting five children ready each Sunday to attend church was very much a challenge for my parents. However, we were always up and ready on Easter morning. My sisters were usually dressed in pastels with pretty sashes around their waist with a bow. I was required to wear my best attire with my hair purposefully slicked (I have very curly hair so that was interesting to do). After church, we would head to our cousin’s house for the traditional Easter egg hunt. Our Easter baskets were like getting Christmas stockings. I loved my basket and the contents filled with chocolates, and little colorful surprises within.

Easter dinner would often include ham and delicious accoutrements. I can recall the tantalizing aroma of ham baking in the oven and the spread of vegetables, potatoes, and homemade rolls all that would soon land on the dining room table. Often times, I would get the “honor” of helping to set the table and decorating it for the holiday.

There are several important tools to have this holiday: a good roasting pan and roasting rack, and an instant-read thermometer.

The roasting rack sits at the bottom of a roasting pan so that the meat doesn’t “stew” in its own juices in a pan or burn. The rack is a means of lifting the food off of the bottom of the pan. If you are going to use a metal rack, some cooks prefer flat racks, and some prefer the V shaped racks. Flat rack proponents say that a flat

Easter Ham served with Glazed Carrots and a Bacon Pear Side

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar

• 3/4 cup orange marmalade

• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard

• 1/2 fully cooked-bone-in ham (6 to 8 pounds)

• 1-1/2 teaspoons whole cloves

BACON PEAR SIDE

• 2 cups chopped leaf lettuce

• 2 cups chopped fresh kale

• 2 medium pears, thinly sliced

• 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

• 4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Instructions

TO MAKE THE EASTER HAM:

Parmesan Garlic Dressing:

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 2 teaspoons grated

Parmesan cheese

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

• 2 to 3 tablespoons 2% milk rack allows the meat to “spread out” and roast more evenly while V shaped racks “squeeze” the meat and prevent thorough cooking. The V rack helps keep the meat in a more uniform shape so that it will cook more evenly.

Preheat oven to 325°. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, marmalade and mustard; set aside.

Do not forget to always check the internal temperature of your meat. Everyone should have an instant read thermometer in their kitchen, as it gives you better control over everything from chicken thighs to caramels. It is so named because it gives a temperature reading very quickly, an instant-read thermometer is an essential food safety and sanitation tool. An instant-read thermometer consists of a stainlesssteel stem that serves as a temperature probe, and either a dial or a digital readout. One advantage of the analog type (the kind with the dial) is that they can be calibrated relatively easily, so you’ll be sure of always getting a true reading.

Enjoy the holiday weekend with family and friends. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store, located at 33 Railroad Place to get your tools to assist you with your cooking creations. Make memories with your family and those you love, especially at the dinner table. Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

Take Care, John & Paula

Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots

Ingredients

• 1 (16-ounce) bag baby carrots

• ½ cup water

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions

• 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

• salt and pepper to taste

Combine carrots, water, butter and brown sugar in a pan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.

Cover and reduce the heat to cook on low for approximately 6 minutes. Keeping covered, turn the heat back to high and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the water is evaporated and carrots are tender, another 5–6 minutes.

Remove from the heat and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Recipe courtesy of: Kristyn Merkley at lilluna.com

Score the surface of the ham, making diamond shapes 1/2 in. deep; insert a whole clove in the center of each diamond.

Place ham cut side down on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, until a thermometer reads 140°, about 2 hours.

Brush ham with some of the glaze. Bake 45 minutes longer, brushing with glaze every 15 minutes. Serve remaining glaze with sliced ham.

TO MAKE THE BACON PEAR SIDE:

In a large bowl, combine lettuce and kale. Top with pears, pepper jack cheese and bacon. In a small bowl, whisk mayonnaise, mustard, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder and pepper. Gradually whisk in enough milk to reach desired consistency. Drizzle over salad; toss to coat.

Recipes courtesy of Taste of Home