Bunny hopping aside, Easter dinner is a serious thing. A large percentage of you will be dressing up in your finery and making a grand celebration of this day. Therefore, the main course for the dining table should reflect traditional family favorites.

Here are a few recipes to help you with your crowning achievement.

Ham and lamb are traditional and seasonal favorites. Remember that a sharp knife will make life much easier when it comes to carving. It's also a good idea to check your carver's "cutting credentials" before allowing him or her to stand at the ready over your prized centerpiece!

As always, enjoy your holiday, and don't keep those hard-boiled Easter eggs at room temperature for too long if you are planning to eat them, as they deteriorate rapidly.

Apricot Glazed Baked Ham
(makes 15 to 20 servings)

• one 12 to 16 pound bone-in ham
• whole cloves
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 3 cups apple juice
• 1 pound dried apricots
• 1 cup Madeira wine

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and move the rack to just below the center position.

To prepare your ham, take a slice off the bottom so it will stand evenly in the pan and be easier to handle. Take off any bit of bone that is in the way, or have the butcher remove it at the market before you take the ham home. If you have the ham at home and this is a problem for you, use a cradle rack to hold and bake the ham.

Peel the skin from the ham and trim the fat, leaving about a quarter-inch layer of fat to protect and nourish the meat.

With a sharp knife, score the meat just about 1/4 inch deep in a diamond or criss-cross pattern on both sides and on top. Set the ham in a shallow baking pan or on your rack and insert a clove at each intersection of the criss-cross pattern.

Using a basting brush, spread the mustard evenly over the top and sides of the ham and cloves. Sprinkle the brown sugar overtop and lightly pat it onto the sides of the ham. Pour the apple juice into the bottom of the pan.

Bake the ham for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, basting it with the apple juice frequently, about every 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the wine and the apricots in a small saucepan. Bring them to a boil and then cover the pan and remove it from the heat.

About 1/2 hour before the end of the baking time for the ham, add the apricots and their liquid to the roasting pan. Continue to bake and baste the ham until it is done. The internal temperature for the ham should be 165 degrees when checked with a thermometer. Be careful not to place your thermometer on the bone when checking the temperature, keeping it in the fleshy meat area as far in as possible.

When the ham is fully cooked, remove it from the oven and transfer the ham to your serving platter. Decorate the top of the ham with the apricots, attaching them with toothpicks. Skim the fat from the pan juices, and place the remaining liquid in a gravy boat or serving dish to accompany the ham.

Serve the ham with an assortment of mustards, chutney, cooked oranges or pineapple or cherries.

For our next recipe, you can use an assortment of peppercorns to give this lamb roast a unique flavor. Green, black, red, white or pink, in an equal mixture, will not only be colorful, but flavorful! You can use your food processor to coarsely crush them. Be careful not to process them too much. I use my meat mallet to get the best texture. Wrap them in a cloth and hammer gently!

Roast Lamb with Peppercorn Crust
(serves 8 to 10)

• One untied leg of lamb, approximately 5 pounds, with bone removed
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed
• 6 tablespoons coarsely crushed peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon fresh (or 1 1/2 teaspoon dried) rosemary
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Combine one tablespoon of the crushed peppercorns with the rosemary, mint, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce and red wine in a shallow bowl. Marinate the lamb in this mixture for 8 hours, turning the meat occasionally, keeping it in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Remove the meat from the marinade and reserve the marinade. Place the lamb on a cutting board or tray and roll the roast into a cylinder like shape. Tie it with butcher's or kitchen twine.

With a basting brush, spread the mustard over the meat and pat 2 tablespoons of the remaining peppercorns onto the sides and top of the meat. Set the roast carefully in a roasting pan, just large enough to hold it comfortably. Pour the reserved marinade into the pan, not over

the roast. Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 1/2 hours, figure about 18 minutes per pound, for medium rare. Gently and lightly baste the roast occasionally after the first 1/2 hour. When the roast is to your desired temperature, remove it from the oven and cover lightly with foil.

Let it stand for about 20 minutes before carving. Deglaze the pan juices, removing the fat from the liquid and serve with the lamb in a separate server.

As always, enjoy.