Easter menu inspo
+ forcing spring branches
Me again : )
Double header newsletter ahead of the holiday weekend!
Forcing Spring (vibes but also branches)
I was watching old Martha Stewart living episodes the other day and she had a segment discussing how to “force” spring branches. In early spring, when flowering trees like cherry blossoms are just beginning to form buds, you can cut a few branches and place them in a vase of water indoors. The warmer indoor air simulates late spring conditions, encouraging the buds to bloom sooner than they would outside. Now, I’ve seen friends in DC are already enjoying their cherry blossoms in full bloom and I’m so happy for you, really!!! *cries in my winter puffer*
But for us up North, we’ve still got a few more weeks left to go. So if you’re like me and desperate to leave this gnarly winter behind you, might I suggest forcing a bit of spring indoors!
Easter Ham
Ahead of the holiday weekend, I wanted to resurface this glazed ham recipe that I developed last fall! My family has always done a roast ham for easter and I look forward to it every year. If it isn’t a tradition of yours, I’m here to convert you because I strongly believe that ham is the easiest roast for a first time host to execute.
The great thing about any roast, wether it be beef, pork, lamb, etc, is that they are relatively hands off from the moment they enter the oven until you’re ready to serve. This frees you to enjoy the party and tend to other hosting duties. The downside of a large roast is that they take a significant time too cook, and if improperly timed you could find yourself having to push dinner back for hours.
Famously while hosting a dinner party on New Years eve in 2024, I was preparing a rib roast that, despite having spent over 2 hours in the oven, was temping at a mere 60 degrees internal by 9PM. Panic set in along with the 3 dirty vodka martinis I had, so I made the executive decision to slice the roast into individual bone in rib-eye steaks and finish them on the stovetop. We didn’t end up sitting down to eat until about 10:00, by which point many of my guests were significantly over-served and underfed, and a few didn’t even make it to midnight (my bad!). Come to find out, my 20+ year old oven chronically runs 50-75 degrees colder than the temp gauge. Still slightly traumatized, I now swear by oven thermometers.
What I love about a ham roast specifically is how incredibly forgiving they are, in terms of flavor and cook. Most store bought hams come fully cooked, so all you’re really doing is reheating it. Ham also has a lovely fat cap, that will keep the meat moist as it cooks. Now before you get too excited, it still requires ample oven time to heat evenly through. But at least you wont have the looming stress of achieving a perfect medium rare like you would a roast beef. Because there are few moments more stressful than slicing into a roast and finding that it’s still raw come dinner time.
Look for a ham labeled “Fully cooked”, “Ready to eat”, “Spiral-cut ham”, “Cured” or “smoked”. Alternatively, some are labeled “partially cooked” or “Fresh ham” aka uncured, raw pork leg.