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TOP JOBS

Easter meals will be prepared this week.

Ham, scalloped potatoes and other springtime dishes are sure to be spread out for the holiday feast.

According to the National Pork Board, to carve a bone-in ham, place on the side of a firm cutting surface. Steady with a large fork and cut several slices off the the thin side of the ham. For boneless ham, cut several long slices of the side.

Here is a recipe from the board:

HONEY-ORANGE GLAZED HAM

8 pound fully cooked boneless ham

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 cup honey

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

For glaze, in a small bowl combine orange juice, honey, cinnamon and cloves; mix well. Place ham on rack in shallow roasting pan. Roast in a 325-degree oven for 2 hours, or until meat thermometer registers 140 degrees. Baste with the honey glaze during the last 45 minutes.

If you are looking for something to serve with the ham, Shirley Scarbrough of Athens sent this recipe:

PICKLED BEETS FOR DIABETICS

1 (15 ounce) can, small whole or sliced beets

1/4 cup white vinegar

5 packets of Sweet 'N Low

In medium bowl, combine beets, beet juice, vinegar and sweetener. Put in container with lid and seal. Chill beets several hours or over night.

In unrelated news, everywhere shoppers turn are the labels: organic, reduced fat, natural.

Cookbooks are also trying to meet the health demands, trying to encourage cooks to use more local ingredients.

A new one, called "Simply Organic" by Jesse Ziff Cool writes a guide to cook "sustainable, seasonal and local."

It is divided up into seasons. This one caught my attention, because when in season, blackberries are abundant in East Texas. Try it in coming months:

BLACKBERRY SPICE CAKE

2 large eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup vanilla yogurt

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 cups whole-grain pastry flour

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoons ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 pint blackberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9-inch cake pan. in a medium bowl, combine the eggs, oil and yogurt. Stir in the brown sugar. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, allspice, nutmeg, baking soda and salt. Form a well in the center and add the yogurt mixture, stirring just until blended. Fold in the blackberries.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes.

Run a knife around the inside of the pan and tap it on all sides to loosen the cake. Invert onto a serving plate.

You can substitute frozen berries for fresh ones. Instead of mixing them into the batter, scatter them on the bottom of the pan before baking. When you invert the pan, the juices will act like a glaze.

If you have a request or would like to share a recipe, please write to Readers Swap, Tyler Morning Telegraph, P.O. Box 2030, Tyler, 75710. Readers may also fax their requests or recipes to 903-595-0335 or e-mail to food@tylerpaper.com