Easter dinner - not the same old stuff

If your family is like many I know, you will know exactly what to expect for Easter dinner.  Growing up, the only difference in menu items for holidays depended on whether we ate at my father's parents (ham, Polish sausage, sauerkraut) or my mother's sister (roast chicken, polenta, green beans). 

Since I cook most of the family get-togethers, I had established a tradition of eating certain foods for each holiday, combining the Polish and Italian sides of the family.  Guess what?  It gets pretty boring for the cook.

A few years ago I started changing all that.  We've had Easter Brunch, a Greek food festival, Southern foods, whatever I was inspired to make.  This year will be no different, except that lamb again will be featured.

I never tasted lamb growing up because no one in the family liked it.  My first taste of lamb happened while I attended college.  Wayne's old medical school sat across I-375 from Greektown and occasionally we would wander over for lunch.  Gee, this tasted pretty good.  I began enjoying lamb.

This year I am looking for a bone-in leg of lamb.  I've already made my spinach raviolis.  Poached shrimp and vegetable dip for appetizers.  A nice light fennel salad and some asparagus.  No more of these 'food coma' holiday meals where we collapse after dinner and eat leftovers for a week.

Everyone seems to enjoy the simpler meals and I get to continually try new items.  The best part though is having my family here.  Definitely.