Recipes in this article: Glazed Ham with Pineapple-Raisin Sauce Smashed Potatoes with Olive Oil & Fresh Herbs Simple Broiled Asparagus Simple Yellow Cake with Coconut Glaze Ask Pamela Anderson a food question!

Tradition with a Twist

This Easter dinner's ham has a homey pineapple-laced sauce, and the coconut cake gets a super-easy glaze.

Because it comes so early this year, Easter could feel a lot like Christmas for many of us. I suggest a holiday meal that clings a bit to winter while reaching for spring.

Anchor the menu with a big ham. The bone-in, spiral-cut variety is so readily available and easy to prepare, why consider anything else? Serve it with a pineapple sauce redolent of the past. Brown sugar, mustard, ginger, cloves and pineapple (the only thing missing is maraschino cherries) contribute to the classic flavor.

Pair it with smashed golden potatoes, seasoned with flavorful extra-virgin olive oil and a handful of fresh herbs -- spring's distinctive kiss. Round out the meal with broiled asparagus.

Wow them with Simple Yellow Cake with Coconut Glaze. The cake is easy to make and the glaze even more so. Not long ago, a friend served this at a dinner party, and the guests declared it the best cake they had ever eaten. It's that good.

Contributing Editor Pam Anderson is the author of five cookbooks. Her brand-new one is "The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight & Eating Great" (Houghton Mifflin, $27).

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Glazed Ham with Pineapple-Raisin Sauce

2 cups dark brown sugar
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
4 cups fresh pineapple (medium dice)
1 medium red onion (medium dice)
1 cup dark raisins
1 8- to 9-pound unglazed spiral-cut half-ham
1 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tb. water

Mix brown sugar, mustard, ginger and cloves in medium bowl so mustard moistens sugar. Transfer 1 cup of sugar mixture to saucepan; reserve rest of sugar mixture to glaze ham.

Add pineapple, onion and raisins to sugar mixture in pan. Bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes. (Sauce can be refrigerated for 2 or 3 days.)

About 3 hours before serving, place ham in 9-by-13-inch pan; discard any package of seasoning or glaze that came with the ham. Bake ham according to maker's instructions. When ham is done, remove from oven and set oven temperature to 425 degrees. Coat ham all over with remaining sugar mixture; bake until dark and well glazed, about 10 minutes total (brush ham with pan juices/glaze after 5 minutes). Remove from oven and let rest, covered, for 15 to 30 minutes.

When ready to serve, return pineapple sauce to a simmer. Mix cornstarch with water; stir into sauce and simmer until thick enough to mound on a spoon. Serve ham with sauce alongside.

SERVES 32 (3 OUNCES EACH)
PER SERVING (HAM WITH 2 TBS. SAUCE): 207 calories, 22g protein, 22g carbohydrates, 4g fat (1g saturated), 65mg cholesterol, 1g fiber, 1,098mg sodium

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Smashed Potatoes with Olive Oil & Fresh Herbs

5 pounds golden potatoes, such as yellow Finnish or Yukon Gold, well washed but unpeeled

Salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs, your choice (parsley, cilantro, chives, basil, mint, tarragon, thyme, oregano)

Note: Be generous with milder herbs (parsley, cilantro, chives, basil) and less so with stronger ones (mint, tarragon, thyme, oregano).

Place potatoes in a single layer in a large roasting pan; cover with water. Bring to a boil over two burners over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered with foil, until potatoes are tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Smash potatoes with salt, pepper and enough water to make moist. Stir in olive oil and herbs.

SERVES 12-16
PER SERVING: 227 calories, 4g protein, 33g carbohydrates, 9g fat (1g saturated), 0mg cholesterol, 4g fiber, 14mg sodium

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Simple Broiled Asparagus

3 pounds (about 3 bunches) medium to thick asparagus spears, tough bottom ends snapped off
1 1/2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper

Put oven rack at highest level; turn oven to broil. Arrange asparagus on large rimmed cookie sheet. Toss with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes (shaking pan once or twice). Serve.

SERVES 12
PER SERVING: 39 calories, 2g protein, 5g carbohydrates, 2g fat(0g saturated), 0mg cholesterol, 2g fiber, 0mg sodium

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Simple Yellow Cake with Coconut Glaze

2 1/2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
3 large eggs
2 tsps. vanilla extract
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened until easily spreadable
2 cups granulated sugar
For glaze
2 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk
4 Tbs. butter
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 cup water
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Line base of pans with parchment or wax paper; spray again and dust with flour.

For the cake, mix flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Mix milk, eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl. Using a mixer, beat softened butter into dry ingredients, first at low speed, then medium, until mixture forms pebble-sized pieces. Add 1/3 of the milk mixture and beat batter on low; then add remaining milk mixture in two stages, beating on medium speed just until batter is smooth. Add sugar and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Pour batter into prepared cake pans.

Bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean,35 to 40 minutes. Set pans on a wire rack; cool for 5 minutes. Run a knife around perimeter of pans to loosen the cakes, then remove them onto rack. Cool to room temperature.

While cakes cool, make glazeby bringing condensed milk, butter, salt and 1/4 cup of water to a full simmer in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently (it's OK if condensed milk caramelizes on pan bottom, creating nutty brown bits). Off heat, stir in coconut and vanilla.

Place one of the cakes on a plate. Spread 3/4 cup warm glaze over cake. Top with the second cake and remaining glaze, which will cascade over the sides; use a spatula to spread a thin layer of glaze on cake sides. Continue spreading until glaze sets. (Cake can be made a day ahead and can be kept at room temperature, covered.)

SERVES 16
PER SERVING: 538 calories, 8g protein, 76g carbohydrates, 22g fat (15g saturated), 92mg cholesterol, 1g fiber, 397mg sodium