Easter 2001

Recipes Du Jour...
	For Our Internet Visitors...
Easter Menu From Chef Michael (For Four Persons) Assorted Hors d'Oeuvres: Cheese Selection Black Pepper Water Crackers with Garden Vegetables and Honey Mustard Dinner Rolls Honey-Glazed Baked Ham with Raisin Sauce Twice-Baked Potatoes Asparagus with Balsamic Glaze Double Fudge Brownies with Vanilla Ice Cream Honey-Glazed Baked Ham with Raisin Sauce
Ingredients (For Ham)
1 5 to 6 pound boneless fully-cooked ham	1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup honey	1 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground cloves	1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 t ground nutmeg	15 to 20 cloves
	1 8-ounce can sliced pineapple
Method
Make Glaze: Drain pineapple, reserving liquid. Mix honey, brown sugar, vinegar, cinnamon, ground cloves, and nutmeg in medium sauce pan. Bring to low simmer over medium heat and reduce by one-third, add 1/2 cup pineapple liquid, continuing simmering until reduced again by one-third (about 15 minutes). (Can be made two days ahead; keep refrigerated.) Prepare Ham: Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Place ham on rack set in shallow roasting pan. Insert cloves into ham, evenly covering entire area. Drape pineapple rings over ham. Baste ham with warmed glaze even 10 minutes during last hour of cooking. Bake ham for 35 to 45 minutes per pound (about 3 1/2 hours) or until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees. Remove from oven, tent ham with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes prior to slicing.
Raisin Sauce
Ingredients
1/2 cup dark brown sugar	2 T lemon juice
1 t dry mustard	1/2 t lemon zest
2 T cornstarch	1 1/2 cups water
2 T cider vinegar	3/4 cup seedless raisins
Method
Combine sugar, mustard, and cornstarch in medium sauce pan. Place over medium heat, add vinegar, lemon juice, and water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer five minutes. Add raisins and lemon peel, simmer another five minutes until raisins are plump.

Twice-Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
6 large baking potatoes	1/2 - 3/4 cup milk or light cream
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella	4 T sour cream
3 T unsalted butter
Method
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Thoroughly wash potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Pierce potatoes several times with paring knife to allow steam to escape. Bake 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, carefully slice top third off each potato. Scoop pump into mixing bowl. Add butter and mash. Add milk and sour cream, blend until smooth, adding more milk if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Add Mozzarella cheese and mix thoroughly. Generously fill four potato skins with mixture. (May be made one day ahead and kept refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.) Preheat over to 350 degrees. Bake potatoes 25 to 35 minutes until completely heated.
Asparagus With Balsamic Glaze
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed	4 T Extra Virgin olive oil
2 T good quality Balsamic vinegar	Salt & Pepper
Method
Snap tough ends off asparagus, reserve for future use. Bring a large kettle of salted water to rolling boil. Add asparagus and cook until barely tender (about 6 minutes). Bring a large sauté pan to temperature over medium heat, add olive oil. Drain asparagus and place in pre-heated sauté pan. Season with salt and fresh-ground black pepper. Add vinegar and sauté briefly until most of liquid is evaporated. Serve immediately.