Honey Ham

Just in time for Easter, this easy Honey Ham recipe is absolutely delicious with ingredients like brown sugar and ginger in the glaze that coats it. Purchase ham labeled "fully-cooked" and preferably smoke-cured. Even though Easter is celebrated today as a Christian holiday, its origins are rich in folklore with multi-religious beginnings. Ancient Anglo-Saxons would feast with the onset of springtime at a pagan festival honoring the goddess “Eastra” or “Ostra.” Idolized on earth as a rabbit, she was the deity of spring and renewal. Hence, the symbolism associated with Easter reflects rebirth or fertility such as the egg and the bunny. I'll be writing more about Easter traditions in these holiday recipe headnotes, such as the big old bunny who fills baskets with candy and how he came to be. My 5-year-old daughter insists that he is pink, whereas I have always pictured him as white.

• 1 (8 lb.) half ham shank, fully-cooked, bone-in, cured
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, peeled, minced
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  

Preheat oven 350F (175C).

Trim the fat on ham to 1/4-inch thick layer over surface. Score surface into diamonds. Insert meat thermometer in thickest part of ham. Place ham on a wire rack in a roasting pan and bake for 45 minutes.

Combine ginger, honey, and vinegar in a small bowl. Brush glaze over surface of ham. Pack brown sugar over glaze. Bake for 30 minutes and baste ham with glaze. Bake 15 to 30 minutes more or until meat thermometer registers 140F.

Transfer ham to a nice wooden cutting board and let stand 15 minutes. Place carving board on buffet table and carve a few slices sized to fit on bread roll as a sandwich.

Makes 12 servings

Photo credit: Azgalarneau on Flickr

White Chocolate Cheesecake Topped with Lemon Curd

In my second book, "Sophisticated Entertaining," I wrote a whole chapter devoted to cheesecake -- eventually all the cheesecake recipes will appear on my blog -- but I wanted to kick it off with my fave! My goal in developing the perfect cheesecake recipe was to strike a balance between the rich flavor that ample cheese in a recipe yields without creating a super dense dessert. I'm pretty happy with the way this recipe turned out primarily because of the addition of white chocolate and a healthy dose of Grand Marnier. Topping it all off is lemon curd, which adds a lively lift to this buttery, decadent dessert recipe. In the past, I’ve used prepared lemon curd purchased at the grocery store to fill tartlets. The commercial curd pales in comparison to fresh homemade curd that will really perk up this cheesecake as well as your dessert recipes.

White Chocolate Cheesecake

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups vanilla wafer cookie crumbs
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 10 oz. good quality white chocolate, chopped
• 3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup Grand Marnier

Homemade Lemon Curd

• 6 egg yolks
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, cut into tablespoons
• 1 paper doily
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  

Melt 1/2 cup butter in a small saucepan over low heat or in microwave. Allow remaining 1/2 cup butter to soften at room temperature. Mix together cookie crumbs, lemon zest, sugar, and 1/2 cup melted butter. Pat mixture in bottom and up sides of buttered 10-inch spring-form pan. Freeze covered 30 minutes.

Preheat oven 350F (175C). Set spring-form pan containing crust on a baking sheet.
Melt chocolate in top of a double boiler or in a small saucepan over a larger pot of simmering water. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes. Beat chocolate and cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated. Beat 1/2 cup softened butter and Grand Marnier into mixture until thoroughly blended. Pour batter into prepared pan over crust.

Place baking sheet with pan in middle rack of oven. Bake 1 hour until cheesecake puffs up and knife inserted off-center comes out clean. Cheesecake center will continue to cook and become firm once removed from oven and cake will sink slightly as it cools. Place baking sheet with pan on wire rack. Cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, make Lemon Curd. Whisk together egg yolks, granulated sugar and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly so mixture does not boil, until mixture thickens, about 8-10 minutes. When thickened, remove from heat and immediately stir in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture is smooth. Cool completely. Cover and chill until ready to use.

Spread lemon curd in an even layer over top of cooled cheesecake. Place cheesecake on a large dish and chill uncovered for 2 hours. When lemon curd sets, run a knife around edge of cake to loosen from pan. Release pan latch and remove pan collar.
Place a paper doily on top of lemon curd. Sift powdered sugar evenly over doily. Remove doily to reveal powdered sugar design. Cut individual wedges from cheesecake and serve cold with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. Store covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Makes 12 servings

Seafood and Artichoke White Lasagna

Everyone knows an Italian pal who has procured Grandma’s heirloom lasagna recipe. Making this traditional and time-consuming dish is a great way to introduce children to the kitchen. After you cook and prepare the ingredients, let the little fingers build the lasagna as you supervise with your glass of Chianti. Once assembled, lasagna can be frozen and then reheated for an easy supper.



Lasagna Layers

• 1 (1 lb. box) lasagna noodles
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 lb. bay scallops
• 1/2 lb. bay shrimp
• 1 (8 1/2 oz.) can artichoke hearts, chopped
• 1 cup shredded Swiss Cheese
• 1 cup shredded Gruyere Cheese
• 1/2 cup basil leaves, shredded

Lasagna Filling

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 large leeks, washed and chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 (2 lb.) container ricotta cheese
• 3 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

White Sauce

• 1/2 cup butter
• 6 tablespoons al-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups half &half
• 1 cup fresh grated Parmesan
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper

Add 1 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large pot of water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add lasagna noodles and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Gently remove noodles with tongs and drape over the side of several pots or large bowls. Do not overlap noodles as they will stick to each other and tear.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add scallops and cook for 5 minutes until scallops are no longer opaque. Add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes more until shrimp is pink. Remove from heat. Toss together scallops, shrimp and artichoke in a large bowl. Cover bowl and set aside. Toss together cheese in another bowl and cover and set aside.

Meanwhile, make lasagna filling. Heat butter, oil, and garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks and wine and cook over medium-high heat until leeks are tender and liquid reduces completely, about 8-10 minutes.

Spoon ricotta cheese into a large bowl. Add leeks, basil, eggs, salt and pepper and mix until blended. Cover bowl and set aside.

To make White Sauce, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add chicken stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly, to incorporate liquid. Add cream and stir as sauce thickens. Stir in cheese until blended. Add 1/2 cup of hot sauce to bowl with beaten eggs and stir to temper eggs. Add eggs to sauce and stir constantly for 2 minutes more, then remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350F (175C).

To assemble lasagna, smear white sauce on the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch baking pan. For each layer, lay 3 noodles, side by side, over bottom of pan. Cut broken noodles to fill in any gaps or extend the length of the pan. Dollop 1/2 cup ricotta cheese mixture over noodles. Scatter 1/3 cup of scallops, shrimp, and artichoke over ricotta. Spoon 1/3 cup sauce over ingredients and top with 1/2 cup of Swiss and Gruyere cheese mixture. Repeat layers 3 more times. Top final layer with noodles and spoon sauce over top. Scatter Swiss and Gruyere cheese over sauce. Bake for 45 minutes or until top is bubbling. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes.

Precut lasagna into 3-inch squares and place on a trivet or hot plate on the buffet table. Garnish with shredded basil leaves. Store covered in the refrigerator or freezer and reheat before serving.

Makes 12– 15 servings

Photo Credit: jough on Flickr

Irish Tea Bread or Barm Brack

Barm Brack is bread, with a few recipe variations, that is served on Saint Patrick’s Day and Halloween in Ireland. This version, similar to nut bread, is made with dried fruit soaked in tea. With all the amazing blend of tea these days, I can imagine a whole new flavor arena for this bread. I'm a fan of the Tea Garden in Beverly Hills who has this Chocolate Truffle Berry brew that is just like sipping dessert.

• 1 1/2 cups brewed black tea, cold
• 1/2 cups golden raisins
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup dried black currants
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup packed golden brown sugar
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Place tea, raisins, and currants into a bowl. Cover and soak for at least 3 hours or overnight. Drain tea from fruit and reserve 1/2 cup of tea.

Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Butter and flour an 8-inch round pan or a loaf pan.

Beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy. Add melted butter and reserved 1/2 cup tea mix well. Sift together flour and baking powder and beat into mixture until. Stir in fruit until throughout. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into bread comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 5 minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack.

Transfer to serving platter and cut into wedges or slices.

Photo Credit: elena and dan on Flickr

St. Patrick's Day Video of Tabletop Decorations

Just some fun ideas to greenify St. Patrick's Day, my fave holiday!

Apple Mash

Odd, I know, but the combination of golden potatoes and apples in this old Irish side dish recipe is exquisite. I developed this recipe years ago based on research from my peeps! Supposedly, I'm related to the greatest king of Ireland, Brian Boru. There's even a wikipedia reference about him and a sketch of the guy looking like tarzan got cold and swapped out the loin cloth for a fur mini skirt and stole. You can use leftover Apple Mash to make potato pancakes the next morning. And for a fab St. Patrick's Day presentation, core a red apple, spoon the Apple Mash inside, and bake it for about 5 minutes -- let's call it Baked Apples ala Mash!

• 4 lbs. (about 8 medium) Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 1/2 lbs. (about 2 large) Red Delicious apples, peeled and diced
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons Sugar 5 tablespoons butter, softened
• Add potatoes to a stockpot and cover in water and 1 tablespoon salt.

Bring water to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 – 20 minutes. Drain potatoes in a colander.

Meanwhile, place apples, water and sugar in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender, about 10 minutes.

Transfer potatoes to a large bowl and mash until smooth. Add apples, and butter and beat until combined.

Spoon into large bowl and serve warm. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Makes 8 servings

Ginger Snap Lamb Stew

Ginger Snap cookies are used as a thickening ingredient in this stew and add a zip to this traditional St. Patrick's Day favorite. I originally wrote this recipe for my book Celebrations which was published in 2001. Since then I've prepared the recipe in many ways including swapping out half of the water for Guinnesss Stout and another variation which gives it a meditteranean spin with the addition of fresh mint and crumbled feta on top.

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil



• 2 cloves garlic, minced



• 3 lbs. lamb stew meat, cut in 1-inch chunks



• 4 large carrots, peeled, cut in chunks



• 2 onions, peeled, cut in slivers



• 4 Russet potatoes, scrubbed, cut in 1-inch chunks



• 1 cup frozen peas



• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped



• 1 teaspoon thyme leaves



• 1/2 teaspoon salt



• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper



• 4 cups beef broth



• 3 cups water



• 10 crushed ginger snap cookies

Heat oil and garlic in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add lamb and cook, turning frequently, until browned on all sides. Add remaining ingredients to pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until lamb is done and vegetables are tender. Serve in a hollowed out round loaf of bread or in individual bowls.

Makes 8 servings