Cooking With Alex: Easter Dinner for 6-8 People

I really believe you can relax and be generally disorganized in real time as long as your table is set, and you have snacks laid out when people walk in…

Growing up, my parents definitely pulled out all the stops starting at Thanksgiving and ending the day after New Year’s Day. It felt like my mother was cooking nonstop as soon as that crisp November air hit the streets of NYC where I grew up. Another big food moment? Easter.

I mean, my mother would always buy asparagus and fava beans no matter what. She would often make an Italian form of quiche, Pizza Rustica, that I felt literally had three dozen eggs and a quart of cream mixed with ricotta and other things. It took forever to bake, and it was one of those dramatic Easter dishes that I watched bake through the stained and speckled oven window with fascination.

Is it OK if I didn’t like everything I ate growing up even though I’m a chef and my life revolves around food?

I think that’s why my daughter Ava and I decided to be partially loyal to my mother’s idea of Easter, but replace the Pizza Rustica with a simple and cheesy spinach quiche which bridges that holiday gap between brunch and dinner so beautifully. Of course, lamb is definitely the meat that often becomes the center of the table, with asparagus so simply on the side.

• Spinach & Cheese Quiche

• Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb

• Sautéed Easter Asparagus

• Potato Gratin OR Sweet Potato Purée with Brown Butter

• Pavlova with Raspberries

This is a mix of things you can make ahead, things you finish at the last minute, and things that just make people really happy when they hit the table.