A Effortless Easter Brunch By Jorj Morgan After the hats are in place, and the shoes are shined - just as soon as the ties are tied and the shirt tails are tucked - when everyone is in their finest new outfits wearing their brightest Easter smiles - that's when you look around and know that - everyone is going to be starving in a matter of moments! Rather than have a jellybean egg breakfast or let lunch become a chocolate bunny leg - why not host a great tasting holiday brunch. With just a little advance planning and a few great recipes, you can enjoy a leisurely meal with your family and friends - and not drop a crumb on those perfect white gloves! The secret is to plan ahead. Start with a great menu, design a perfect table, arrange a special centerpiece and create a great Easter egg hunt. Menu If you really want to sparkle and delight your guests at the same time, you might consider a brunch menu that includes dishes like Cranberry Glazed Baked Ham, Spinach and Swiss Cheese Frittata, Chilled Poached Salmon with Dilled Mustard Sauce, Roasted Asparagus with Mayonnaise Salsa, Potato Pancakes, and Key Lime Butter Cake. Begin at the end. Prepare the cake 1 to 2 days before. Cover and refrigerate until needed. For a springtime cake, decorate with fresh fruit or sugared flower petals. The day before, roast the asparagus on a rack in a 350-degree oven. Chill overnight and bring to room temperature when ready to serve. Combine a dab of mayonnaise with your favorite salsa for a great sauce. You can also poach the salmon the day before, cover and chill. Make the mustard sauce by combining mayonnaise, sour cream, a spoon full of brown mustard, a tablespoon of tarragon vinegar and snips of fresh dill. Cover and chill overnight. Prepare the ingredients for a frittata the day before. An hour before serving, sauté the veggies, add beaten eggs and cheese to the skillet. Place in the oven to bake until set. Let the frittata sit and then serve wedges right from the warm skillet. Purchase a cooked ham and place it on a rack in a roasting pan. Melt together over medium heat one can of jellied cranberry sauce and one half cup orange juice. Spread this mixture over the ham. Place the ham in the oven and bake at 350 degrees. Reduce the temperature to 250 degrees to keep warm. Prepare all of the ingredients for potato pancakes the day before, cook and grate potatoes, chop green onions and grate fresh Parmesan cheese. One hour before brunch, combine these ingredients with eggs, flour and spices. Use an ice cream scoop to form potato cakes that are cooked in hot oil over medium high heat. Keep the potato pancakes warm on a platter in a warming drawer or a 200-degree oven. Pressed for time? You might want to try a few tricks. Check out the recipe for Make Ahead Eggs Benedict to get an idea. Or you may choose to go the casserole route that you can make the day before and then pop into the oven. The recipe for Hash Brown and Egg Casserole is an example. Feel free to be creative and try your own additions to a favorite egg casserole. The Table Arrange your buffet so that your guests move around the table in a circle and not down both sides. This way they won't crash into each other with plates in hand. Begin the table with stacked plates, a basket of utensils and colorful cloth napkins. The ham comes next followed by the warm frittata. Place a platter of potato pancakes beside a bowl of applesauce as an accompaniment. Next on the buffet table is the poached salmon drizzled with mustard sauce followed by a fan of roasted asparagus and fresh baked warm rolls. Serve the cake on a separate table with coffee and iced tea. The Centerpiece A centerpiece can be as elegant as fresh tulips placed in several heights of crystal vases, or lilies arranged in bouquets. For a whimsical centerpiece, an Easter basket full of fresh flowers or chocolate bunnies is the perfect touch. Use several colorful baskets piled on top of each other at various angles to create an interesting centerpiece that will be easily disassembled when the Easter Egg Hunt begins! The Easter Egg Hunt Let everyone in on the fun. Hide plastic eggs that are filled with candy in bushes and on the lawn. Let the youngest get a head start followed by the rest of the children. The winner gets the chocolate bunny - but make sure you have enough bunnies for everyone to be a winner. For a special treat, fill large plastic eggs with your favorite brunch recipes. Offer an egg to each family member and encourage them to make the dish for next Easter Sunday's Brunch. A little help never hurts!! Also see: • Recipes for your Easter dinner • Easy ideas to spend family time together with a weekend brunch Jorj Morgan is the Lifestyle Director of BlueSuitMom.com and the author of At Home In The Kitchen, a cookbook due in spring 2001.