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I'm going to Jerzee's for easter dinner! ;-)

@Jerzee: Mmmm. A bone-in ham, homemade baked mac and cheese and a green veg could work. The Mr. would like that a lot. I'm not looking for something ambitious . . . just delicious.

@anybody: Do you make dishes with eggs on Easter? Quiche or egg salad? My mom used to make an egg salad with our decorated eggs. Might do that, too.

@Jerzee- can I come to your place as well?

@Susquehanna - Glad you asked. I am so excited! I am cooking a recipe from Jamie Oliver's newest cookbook, "Cook with Jamie" It is an overnight slow roasted (12 hrs) on the bone pork shoulder - I have had to talk my sister into cooking an identical one (22 lbs. in all) as there are about 34 people in our extended family. It is cooked on top on fennel, carrots, onions, garlic bulbs and fresh herbs, bottle of white wine and stock!

I think I will have it with braised red cabbage, green beans and taters.

He says the meat is, "most meltingly tender" and that it is the last job they do in his restaurant in the evening so it will be ready for lunch. That sounds good enough for me!

@bareneed: especially for Easter, if you use recipes, I would definitely trust Jamie's ideology. So idyllic, so immersed, so perfect for Easter. (I'm picturing him in his garden- with lovely spring veg.) cant go wrong with the method you named.

@susquehanna: I haven't thoroughly mulled over my Easter menu, but I feel it will be some roast-- hopefully lamb, maybe a ham; and simply roasted veggies --whatever looks beautiful. Lots of herbs, bright and clean flavors; fresh, fresh, fresh. Probably a casual tossed starch dish- (a good crumbly cheese, pasta of some sort, nuts, whatev.)
About the eggs: my family has developed tradition of deviled eggs at almost any holiday (a duty for my sister to participate- a non cook) I feel an elevated deviled egg dish is quite apropos for Easter.

Well, I'm making a special trip home to spend it with my Dad. My cousin always does holidays, and it always works out spectacularly.

There's always cheese, olives, grapes, crackers, meats, antipasto platters, etc when everyone arrives. We always have pasta to begin the meal--usually penne and homemade arrabiata sauce. Main course is ham and pork loin. Side dishes range from vegetables, to rice to some other starches. To finish the meal, a green salad. Desserts are always pretty much the contents of your standard North Jersey bakery...plus a homemade Easter bread, Torta Pasqualina, and Pizza gain'. Oh, and fennel is always served at the end with coffee and liqueurs.

Needless to say, I fast for like two days before any holiday.

As far as decorations go, we have some little ones in the family, so an egg hunt is a must. Lots of little chicks and bunnies. We got out of the tradition of borrowing live chicks from the local farm when they got loose in the house a few years ago. The Easter Bunny made an appearance one year--but just as with Santa, the real thing can be pretty freaking scary to a kid!

Of course, this is all followed by an early night and a loooong sleep.

Sadly, probably not too much. (two) Huge lax game(s) here in Baltimore Easter weekend, so not going home to my family; instead, staying here at Hopkins and spending time with my friends and some West Point visitors. After reading about all your delicious feasts, though, maybe I'll try and cobble something together for all of us. Potluck, anyone? =)

a bone in pork shoulder-I love the crackling skin...cooking it on the rotisserie, which is kinda tricky because it has the bone..the sides are undecided at the moment but mulling over candied sweet potatoes or mac & cheese, homemade cole slaw and assorted veggies...for dessert, my homemade banana pudding, lemon meringue pie and a cheesecake from this phenomenal place known for it's cheesecake....

Haven't quite decided yet...Easter isn't a big holiday for us. We might hit up the Top of the Hub (in Boston) for their Easter Brunch or we just might skip it, save the money, and have a nice meal at home.

My sister is cooking dinner - we take turns with holidays - I know she's making ham, asparagus, corn (we have some 'non' veggie eaters - we have to have corn at every holiday dinner for them), and some type of dinner roll. I'm in charge of deviled eggs and dessert. I'm leaning towards the chocolate caramel tart that was on this month's cover of Saveur, and a light chiffon cake w/strawberry sauce made from last summer's strawberries that we froze. Can't believe it's only 2 weeks away!

we're going for 5 days to the beach, on easter we will have oysters, paella, a big green salad and fresh fruit

I'm happy to say that Easter marks my first wedding anniversary, so needless to say someone will be cooking for us! Probably Flemings - filet, Pinot Noir, caprese salad - classic dinner.

since Jerzee wont let me come to her house I guess we'll be having roasted lamb, crispy roasted rosemary potatoes, fresh asparagus, glazed baby carrots and I'm not sure on dessert yet, possibly drunken strawberries if I can find some good local ones.

I'm going to try and smoke/bbq ribs for the first time. Doing it all from marinating with a rub to slow cooking on bbq with woodchips to homemade bbq sauce. Serving with homemade beans, cornbread, coleslaw, rice & beans and maybe some bbq chicken too. I've done everything except the ribs. Let's hope it's sunny out. Have a good easter everyone.

Maple Smoked Turkey Breast on the Charcoal grill and leg of lamb with garlic, lemon and parsely in the oven.

Lamb chops, asparagus with orange hollandaise, deviled eggs, and a salad of baby greens with strawberries and almonds. I'm loving reading these menus -- I hadn't decided on dessert, but carrot cake is an excellent idea -- bunny food -- and all the mentions of coconut cake sound great!

Ten more people! Eek! Original menu will need adjusting. Two hams, twice baked potatoes instead of scalloped potaoes, additional vegetable-maybe broccoli and another dessert-lemon meringue pie. Oh my...

Ok, old family tradition - very Italian/American. We always have artichokes, stuffed... everyone LOVES them. Then escarole soup ('scarola for the initiated), followed by the one two punch: Italian - pasta w/tomato sauce, pork and sausage; American - ham, veggies, starch (potatoes - Dad's Irish).
Of course there's wine. Then all followed by multiple desserts - junk for the kids (store bought cupcakes) Italian cookies (biscotti and anise frosted ones and ), a cake shaped like a lamb... strawberry shortcake and lots and lots of coffee....with Anisette and Amaretto... Needless to say, a coma follows.... Ahhhhh......:)

I am going to huneybumpers and not work so hard since Mr Tomato and I are always doing the entertaining and we would LOVE for someone else to do the cooking for a change. I just thank God I don't have kids and I don't have to get up to deal with the Easter Bunny.

Jerzee and others who are making coconut cake, is this the one that must sit in the fridge for days prior to eating? Either way, is there a recipe? TIA

@moibec: Interesting to learn what traditional Polish foods are eaten at Easter. I've certainly considered taking the ethnic meal route but I'm cooking for two and their are six ethnicities between us: Italian, Irish, Polish for him and Greek, Peruvian, German/Jewish for me. Not sure which way to turn.

We always used to do deviled eggs for Easter. It lets you boil and color the eggs... and then use them...

And for candy, lots of fruits, jelly beans, chocolate eggs, and gummy worms. My mom liked the way the worms crawled in the Easter basket grass.

I think the theme of Easter is suppossed to be birth, rebirth, spring and such.... so lots of colorful veggies, esp greens are great! My husband has a creepy belief about why you should have lamb for Easter, but some people might be offended.

Not sure this year - I found out a couple of weeks ago that I'm going to be in the country, so my mom and aunts are throwing something together. I'll probably ask what I can bring and then pick it up from Whole Foods; the kitchens in those "extended stay" hotels don't exactly lend themselves to goumet cooking :-(

Usually, we'd start with breakfast of hard-boiled eggs and hot cross buns; then have a late lunch/dinner with the whole famdamnily of ham, green bean casserole, yams, etc, etc, etc... Last year it was right before the movers were coming to pack up the house, so I got the whole meal from the Honeybaked store - the ham rocked but the rest was so disappointing!

@HeartofGlass - Oh, what an awful thing for her to say! If I were you, I'd cook something lovely just for myself, pour a big glass of bubbly and eat pounds of candy after. Hers might be "real," but yours will be more fun!

@JerzeeTomato: The recipe looks amazing! But I don't understand (maybe because I am not a baker) what you use the lemon curd for? As a substitute for the lemon buttercream for the filling?