A few more foolishly simple tips

All kidding aside, our Easter experts had a basketful of advice. Here are a few more of their thoughts:

Make your own salad dressing? Sure thing.

“People often have all the ingredients on hand that they need to make a simple vinaigrette, but they are typically afraid to make it for fear it will separate, said chef David Magnasco. His way of avoiding that problem is to start with the acid and the emulsifier, such as honey and/or mustard, and then whisk in the oil.

With fresh asparagus, to determine where the tough end meets the tender part, take a spear and bend it — it will break where the woody part meets the tender, Magnasco said.

To make carrot ribbons, chef de cuisine Dana Landis shaves thick strips of carrots with a y-shaped vegetable peeler, although a straight peeler will also work, she says. She then puts the ribbons in ice water for about 10 minutes to allow them to crisp and curl, and then dries them on a paper towel before adding to the salad.

Drink pink for Easter.

“A rosé wine is great with either ham or lamb — a sparkling rosé is nice, too,” says Gale Gand. “And the pink color is perfect for spring.”

“To figure out what wine I like, I go to Trader Joe’s and buy maybe six different bottles to try — and I never spend over $16 for a bottle,” she noted.

The ever-practical Gand says not to worry if you bring the meringue for the pavlova to someone’s house on a not-too-clean baking sheet —“They’ll feel better knowing your baking sheet is as dirty as theirs.”

She scheduled it all out, putting the tray of baby potatoes in after the ham had baked for about 20 minutes and then putting the asparagus in during the last 10 minutes.

If oven space is limited, the potatoes can be partially roasted ahead of time and then finished once the ham is resting out of the oven. The quick-cooking asparagus can go in once the ham is out, as well.

Watching these professionals cook an Easter meal was a good reminder to simplify when possible and to work ahead.

But these experts also showed off some creative touches.

The mahogany-colored ham was surrounded by greens accented with twirls of dehydrated orange rind — not something found in every home kitchen, but kumquats would work just as well. The salad of frisée lettuce and endive was made dramatic with thick ribbons of multicolored carrots. It was piled high in a simple white bowl for a showy presentation.

And at the last minute, just before the photographer set up, a tulip was tucked into each folded napkin. (Of course, you’ll have to get out the cloth napkins.)

“It all looks great,” said Magnasco, surveying the table. “And it was pretty easy, right?”