Lamb

A cucumber and red bell pepper relish and a pilaf made with fragrant rice (like basmati) are perfect partners for the lamb. For dessert, have coconut ice cream topped with sliced bananas. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Offer this elegant dish with a sauté of vegetables.

For this osso buco we've substituted lamb shanks for the more traditional veal. We've also borrowed from the Greeks, adding avgolemono, a bright-tasting sauce of eggs, lemon juice, and broth.

This Mediterranean-style treatment of lamb shanks is delicious over orzo.

I'm not sure if it was the casserole I disliked or the repetition of eating it many times in one week. By the third night, the whole family complained, to which my mother, Ruth, responded in amazement, "But it's from the James Beard cookbook!" To me, at 12 years old, that only meant I didn't like James Beard, whoever he was. — Nancy Hawley

This fragrant stew is great over couscous.

This is similar to the classic veal osso buco. Capocollo or pancetta (available at Italian delis) adds a nice smokiness. Serve this over noodles, mashed potatoes, or polenta. Market tip: Small lamb shanks won't do — they're mainly bone — so get the largest, meatiest ones you can find (about 1 to 1 1/4 pounds each).

This recipe is needed to prepare Minted Lamb and Sugar Snap Pea Salad .

This recipe makes more charmoula — a Moroccan herb and spice paste — than you'll need. You can use the leftover to rub on chicken or salmon before grilling. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Quick, upscale and delicious. Leftover garbanzo bean spread makes a great dip for carrot and celery sticks.

Roast some cherry tomatoes and eggplant cubes alongside the lamb, and perk up instant couscous with fresh herbs for an easy addition. To complete the dinner, top poached or canned apricot halves with vanilla yogurt and chopped pistachios.

Chef Jean-Charles Bredas has this entrée on the menu at Habitation Lagrange in Martinique. Have the butcher cut the lamb neck bones for you.

Usually made of mashed potatoes, garlic and olive oil, skordalia is a thick sauce served with meats, fish, fritters or greens.