I'm a sucker for an unfussy cake, the kind of cake that you can whip up in an hour or less without any extra trips to the grocery store, one that is special enough to serve to guests, but homey enough to not need a special occasion at all. This fragrant lemon cake — scattered with juicy blueberries and dolloped with soft lemon cream — is the perfect unfussy cake, just the thing to bring to a last-minute spring dinner party or to snack on with afternoon tea.

Crunchy on the outside, chewy in the middle, a good coconut macaroon is an irresistible thing. It's also a particular favorite for people observing Passover and those who avoid gluten. As long as you have some shredded coconut stashed away in your cupboard and a few eggs that you don't mind cracking, a batch of sweet macaroons can be yours in less than a half an hour.

If you're looking for an untraditional centerpiece for your Easter table, then this 'paint' palette made up of an array of pastel macarons is perfect. All you need to recreate it yourself is a wood paint palette, macarons of varying colors, and a little buttercream to use as the "glue."

Spring is definitely in the air, and it's right about now that the idea of entertaining starts to have appeal again. After all, we need to remind each other what we look like without scarves covering our faces. The first get-together of spring needs a special dessert to mark the occasion, don't you think? A fluffy cake or a parfait with billowy whipped cream, something with crunchy nuts and topped with a drizzle of honey. Here are 15 recipes that we think will do the job admirably.

In my quest for the perfect Passover cocktail to share with you for today's 10-Minute Happy Hour, my first instinct was to phone a friend. Since she converted to Judaism as an adult, I thought she would forgive my ignorance and be able to give me the inside scoop on what a kosher cocktail might look like. Her hard and fast answer was, "We don't really drink cocktails. We just drink wine and champagne."  Hmmm, I thought, that's a start.

Q: While I don't only eat Passover-certified foods, I adhere to tradition and in addition to staying away from traditional grains, also avoid corn, beans, lentils and soy during those 8 days. However, over the last year I've drastically decreased my meat intake. 

Q: I've started planning Easter dinner for my family. We have 6 adults, two of them vegan. My plan is to do lamb chops for the carnivores and go vegan for the side dishes. My other challenge is that I'm on-call Sunday morning so I need things that can be prepared a head of time. 

Ah, Irish soda bread! Comparable only to cornbread in its many variations and allegiances, any Irish soda bread recipe is guaranteed to stir up a little controversy. I present this one for the simple reason that it's my favorite and you can adjust it any which way to suit your needs. Want it a little sweet? Add some sugar. Think it can't be Irish soda bread without currants and caraway? Have at it! More

Here in Southern California, winter is on its way out and I have never felt more ready to give kale salads a rest. Right now I am craving all that is crunchy, fresh and pale green -- like this salad, which mixes a dill-flecked dressing with sweet sugar snap peas, crisp celery, chopped romaine and pretty, pink-edged radish slices that remind me of spring's first blossoms winking to life.

Q: I'm hosting a boozy St. Patrick's Day brunch this Saturday and wanted to make alcoholic Shamrock Shakes. Can you recommend a good recipe?

Sent by Kristin