SET A FESTIVE EASTER TABLE.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

Christians around the world celebrate Easter as a day of joy and rebirth. For many, it brings back fond memories of coloring eggs, Easter egg hunts, Easter bunnies, family gatherings, lilies, daffodils, the changing seasons and spring foods such as strawberries, asparagus, artichokes, hot cross buns and lamb.

For centuries, eggs have been colored and decorated and used to symbolize new life.

You don't have to be a skilled artisan to dye, design and decorate hard- cooked eggs. Neon! Food Colors & Egg Dye, introduced last fall by McCormick - in pink, purple, blue and green - are the trendiest way to dress up eggs in electric, vibrant colors.

All it takes is three easy steps. It's no wonder that the top use of food coloring is for dyeing eggs at Easter time.

Do not color or hide cracked eggs. Be sure to store colored eggs in the fridge until using - and do not leave them out more than two hours if you plan to eat them.

While ham or leg of lamb traditionally stars as the centerpiece of the Easter feast, select the one that works for you, suggests Andi Bidwell, senior food editor at the Betty Crocker Kitchens.

``I think that for a lot of people, planning and orchestrating (so everything comes out at the right time) a holiday meal by themselves is overwhelming.'' To make Easter entertaining easier and more relaxing, let guests contribute various parts of the meal. But be sure to specify exactly what you need and expect.

It's important to offer options, adds Bidwell, who advises serving buffet style, so guests can pick and choose to accommodate their diets and likes and dislikes.

Bidwell, who celebrates Easter with a group of family and friends, sticks with ham. She glazes it with different jams or jellies (currant jelly is a favorite) mixed with mustard; maple syrup mixed with mustard; or a sweet and spicy rub with brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and ground mustard.

``I think the rest of the Easter menu is fair game for salads, side dishes and desserts.''

Cooks have more leeway in accompaniment choices than at some other holidays. Experiment, try new recipes and be adventuresome. Purchase some of the go-alongs if you don't have time to make dishes from scratch.

For side dishes, Bidwell suggests creations such as shrimp cocktail, a cheesy scalloped potato bake, a strawberry spinach salad, assorted marinated vegetables and fresh asparagus (topped with cashews sauteed in butter or a freshly grated lemon peel and melted butter coating), fresh green beans topped with feta cheese and chopped Kalamata olives or sugar snap peas. Offer hot cross buns along with dinner rolls from a bakery.

``I always go right to lemon desserts'' - lemon meringue pie or lemon cheesecake - ``for Easter,'' she adds, noting that while her son was growing up, an Easter bunny cake was a hit.

This year, a retro favorite from three decades ago - a Pineapple Lemon Angel Dessert (torn angel food cake pieces layered with a crushed pineapple, lemon gelatin and whipped cream mixture) - will again join the dessert parade.

``I pull out all the stops to make this meal (Easter) a particularly memorable one,'' writes Rick Rodgers, author of ``Celebrations 101.'' ``I go out of my way for the longest tulips and tallest lilies for the floral arrangement and search for special favors to dress up the dining table.''

Discount or mass merchandisers offer a treasure trove of inexpensive baskets and other fun Easter-themed items for festive table decorations, adds Rodgers. Use your imagination. For place cards, write guests' names with indelible ink pens on decorated eggs and tuck in mini baskets with colored ``grasses.'' You might even find some bargain-priced mini plush bunnies to set at each place.

Natalie Haughton, [phone]

natalie.haughton(at)dailynews.com

MINTED LEG OF LAMB

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh OR 1 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves

3 tablespoons white vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground dry mustard 

1 (4- to 5-pound) leg of lamb

Mix all ingredients except leg of lamb. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer 5 minutes; cool.

Place lamb in plastic bag or shallow glass dish. Pour cooled marinade over lamb. Fasten bag securely or cover dish with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 8 hours but no longer than 24 hours, turning lamb occasionally.

Place lamb, fat side up, on rack in a shallow roasting pan. Insert a meat thermometer so tip is in center of thickest part of lamb and does not touch bone or rest in fat. Roast, uncovered, in a preheated 325-degree oven 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until desired degree of doneness is reached (thermometer should read 170 to 180 degrees F). Remove lamb to heated platter. Garnish with fresh mint and lemon. Carve. Serve with mint jelly, mint sauce or chutney, as desired. Makes 8 servings.

From ``Betty Crocker Celebrate! A Year-Round Guide to Holiday Food and Fun.''

BLOODY MARY SHRIMP COCKTAIL

1 1/2 pounds cooked, peeled, deveined medium shrimp (about 60), thawed if frozen

1/2 cup tomato juice

1/4 cup vodka, if desired

1/2 teaspoon red pepper OR hot sauce

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon celery salt 

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 cup cocktail sauce

1/4 cup finely chopped green olives

Arrange shrimp in single layer in a 11x7x1 1/2-inch rectangular glass or plastic dish.

Heat tomato juice, vodka and pepper sauce to boiling in a 1-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in sugar; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in celery salt and parsley; pour over shrimp. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours (no longer).

Remove shrimp from marinade and place in an oversize martini glass (about 12 to 14 inches in diameter). Mix cocktail sauce and olives; pour over shrimp and garnish like a bloody mary with a skewer of colossal olives, a large lime wedge and a celery stick. Makes 8 servings.

NOTE: You can also divide shrimp and sauce among 8 individual martini glasses to serve, if desired.

From ``Betty Crocker Celebrate! A Year-Round Guide to Holiday Food and Fun.''

LIGHT STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons margarine OR butter, melted

1 (15-ounce) carton part-skim ricotta cheese

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup flour

4 eggs, separated

2 tablespoons grated fresh lemon peel

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup nonfat light sour cream substitute OR light sour cream

3 pint baskets fresh strawberries, stemmed

4 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 cup red currant jelly, melted

In a medium bowl, mix crumbs and margarine. Press onto bottom and 2 inches up sides of a lightly greased 9-inch springform pan; set aside. To make filling, in a mixer, beat ricotta cheese until as smooth as possible. Add 3/4 cup sugar, flour, egg yolks, lemon peel and vanilla; mix well. Stir in sour cream substitute to blend thoroughly.

In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry; fold into cheese mixture. Turn into prepared crust; smooth top. Bake in a preheated 300-degree oven 1 hour. Turn off oven; cool in oven 1 hour with door ajar. Remove from oven; chill thoroughly.

Meanwhile, to make sauce, in a blender or food processor, puree 2 baskets of strawberries with remaining 1/4 cup sugar and lemon juice; strain sauce to remove seeds, if desired. Cover and chill. To complete cake, halve remaining strawberries; arrange on top of cake. Brush strawberries with jelly. Cut cake into wedges; serve with sauce. Makes 1 (9-inch) cheesecake, 14 servings.

STRAWBERRY SPINACH SALAD

Orange Honey Dressing

6 cups bite-size pieces spinach OR 1 bag (about 6 ounces) baby spinach leaves

1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

1/3 cup sliced green onions

1 (11-ounce) can mandarin orange segments, drained

2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted if desired

Prepare Orange Honey Dressing. Toss Dressing and remaining ingredients except pine nuts. Sprinkle with pine nuts. Makes 6 servings.

ORANGE HONEY DRESSING: In a tightly covered container, combine 2 tablespoons orange juice, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Shake well.

From ``Betty Crocker Celebrate! A Year-Round Guide to Holiday Food and Fun.''

NEON COLORED EGGS

(On the cover)

1. Combine 1/2 cup boiling water, 1 teaspoon vinegar and about 10 drops Neon (OR other) Food Color in a teacup, coffee cup or other deep small cup.

2. Submerge one hard-cooked egg at a time in dye about 5 minutes or until desired color is achieved. Leave in 10 minutes for a deeper color. For variety, try submerging top half in one color and bottom half in another (allow to dry in between), OR leaving egg in dye for different lengths of time, creating different shades of a particular color.

3. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to add or remove eggs from dye. Let stand to dry.

MARBELIZE AND SURPRISE: For neon marbled eggs, combine 1/4 cup boiling water, 1 teaspoon vinegar, 1/8 teaspoon oil and 4 to 8 drops neon food color in a shallow bowl. Gently roll each egg in the mixture 30 to 60 seconds, or until egg is the desired shade. Transfer egg to a second color mixture and repeat the process. Allow egg to dry completely, then wipe away excess oil with a paper towel.

SIMPLE STICKER ART: Before dyeing eggs, apply stickers to them - such as chickens, rabbits, flowers or other springtime favorites - to create desired images. Dip eggs in dye as you would normally. Once eggs have dried, remove stickers to reveal perfectly ``drawn'' designs.

PAINT THE EGG NEON: For hand-painted neon designs, combine 10 drops of one food color, 1/2 teaspoon water and 1/2 teaspoon vinegar in a small container. Then, using a paintbrush or cotton swab and food color mixture, paint hard-cooked eggs with desired patterns/designs. Go wild with stripes, polka dots and zigzags.

PERSONALIZE NAMES: Personalize your family's eggs by using a white or light-colored crayon to write names on them before dipping into the dye.

CAPTION(S):

4 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) The colors and flavors of Easter

(2 -- color) MINTED LEG OF LAMB

(3 -- color) BLOODY MARY SHRIMP COCKTAIL

From ``Betty Crocker Celebrate! A Year-Round Guide to Holiday Food and Fun.''

(4 -- color) LIGHT STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE

Box:

NEON COLORED EGGS (see text)