staple foods for the holiday. Most people tend to make their fish cakes a little different adding a secret spice here or there. But there really isn't a big difference with how people make their buns other than using white or whole wheat flour and maybe a little more cloves and cinnamon than usual. Here are some recipes for you to try.

*** HOT CROSS BUNS 31 cups flour 1 cup sugar 3 tbs melted butter 1 tsp salt 1 cup milk (scalded) 1 yeast cake softened in 1 cup warm milk 1 egg (beaten) 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp allspice 3 cup raisins POUR scalded milk into a bowl. Add sugar, salt and melted butter. Cool to luke warm. Stir in softened yeast and the well beaten egg. In a large bowl sift flour, cinnamon, and allspice. Add raisins and liquid. Mix well then cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk. Punch down and knead on a lightly floured board for a short time.

Shape into large biscuits, and place on a well greased baking pan. Allow to rise again. Brush tops of buns with slightly beaten egg white. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 20 minutes. Yields 18 buns.

*** COD FISH CAKES 1 lb. cooked codfish flaked 3 cups mashed potato 1 egg 1 tsp pepper 1 tsp seasoning salt 1 tsp thyme leaves 2 tbs chopped parsley 1 small onion chopped or grated cooking oil flour BEAT egg in a bowl. Add flaked codfish and mashed potato. Mix well. Add salt, pepper, thyme, onion and parsley. Mix well. Form mixture into patties. Dust with flour and fry until golden brown. Codfish cakes go well with baked beans, lettuce and tomato.

From: The Bermuda Cookbook by Cecille C. Snaith-Simmons *** HOT CROSS BUNS 5 lbs flour 1 cup sugar 2 tsp salt cinnamon & allspice (to taste) 1 cup corn oil or 2 sticks margarine 3 yeasts 3 cups fruit (mixed peel and raisins) 4 cups warm water MIX yeast into warm water, plus 1 tablespoon sugar. Stir and set aside to bubble. In large bowl place flour, sugar and salt. Cut in butter or oil, add fruit. Add liquid to flour mixture knead, then cover and set aside to rise until double in bulk. Knead again on floured board, shape into buns, set to rise again. Bake in oven 350 degrees until brown, while hot brush with sugar and water syrup.

*** HOT CROSS BUNS 10 cups flour 21 cups sugar 3 pkgs yeast 1 tsp cloves 11 tsp allspice 5 tsp cinnamon 1 cup shortening 3 tsp salt 4 cups water 1 pkg raisins 1 pkg currants 1 cup mixed peel Tasty Easter recipes DISSOLVE yeast in 2 cups warm water, set aside. In large bowl combine flour, sugar salt, shortening, spices and fruit; work together until blended. Add yeast mixture to dry ingredients, mix well; knead and cover. Set aside to rise. Knead again, cut into pieces, shape buns and bake.

*** HOT CROSS BUNS 2 pkg's Active Dry Yeast 1 cup milk -- scald 1 cup vegetable oil 1 cup sugar -- (can use up to 1 cup) 3 tsp salt 31 -- 4 cups flour 1 -- 1 tsp cinnamon 3 beaten eggs 2 cups raisins 1 tsp nutmeg SOFTEN yeast in 1 cup warm water and 1 tsp sugar. Combine milk, oil sugar and salt. Cool to lukewarm. Sift 1 cup flour with cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir into milk mixture. Add eggs and blend well. Stir in softened yeast and raisins.

Beat in remaining flour, or enough to make a soft dough. Cover with damp cloth. Let rise 1 hours. Punch down. Turn out on lightly floured surface. Roll dough in buns and place 1 1 '' apart on greased baking pan. Cut a cross on top. Let rise in a warm place till double in size. Bake at 350. Makes 24.

*** FISH CAKES (Bermuda Style) 3 lbs potatoes 1 lb cod fish (boneless) 1 small onion, chopped 1 tsp parsley 1 tsp thyme 1 egg 1 tsp garlic salt 1 tbsp lard SOAK codfish overnight in clear water. Cook potatoes, when potatoes are boiling and almost done, add cod-fish (about 5 to 7 mins.), complete cooking together. Drain off water, add the remaining ingredients and combine with potato masher, mixing well. Shape into cakes or balls, using ice cream scoop.

Fry in hot oil until brown on all sides, for approximately 10 minutes.

*** FRED MING'S FISH CAKES 2 lb salted cod (boneless) 3 lb potatoes 1 onion finely chopped 2 eggs Thyme, and chopped parsley salt, pepper 1 lb butter SOAK fish overnight in cold water, drain add fresh water, and cook for 1 hours. Halfway through cooking, add peeled potatoes, cut into chunks and let finish cooking with the fish. Drain fish and potatoes. With a potatoes masher, mash the mixture to a fine pulp, add butter, eggs and seasonings.

Roll into balls, pass through seasoned flour and shallow fry. Serve on a dinner plate with lemon and parsley sprig.

Recipes from: The Continental Society Cookbook *** EASTER NESTS Mix a chocolate frosting and stir into it as many Rice Krispies or Corn Flakes as it will take making sure the cereal is coated with chocolate. Pile into paper muffin cases, hollow out centre and place three Jelly Beans, or small candy eggs in hollow. Guarantee they'll be gone first from the Easter Party table.

From: Pot Pourri St. John's Guild, Pembroke