Lamb

Here, lamb chops are presented atop a salad that was inspired by the flavors of Sardinia. A perfect first course or a light main course.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 40 min

Agnello di Latte Arrosto I always had mixed emotions about this dish as a little girl. Traditionally, it was served at the first meal after Lent, a joyous occasion to which everyone looked forward, including me. Still, there was an element of personal sadness: My pet was being eaten. At Busoler I spent long hours playing in the fields with lambs and young goats, and always found sentiment struggling with appetite at Easter. When the appearance of the first peas of the season coincided with Easter, they'd be shelled and added to the dish at the last moment.

If you don't have a heavy roasting pan, you can brown and roast the lamb in a large ovenproof skillet with two-inch-high sides. The seasoned butter can be prepared one day before using. What to drink: A red Bordeaux is the classic accompaniment to roast lamb. Other full-bodied reds, such as Burgundy or an aged Rioja, would also complement this menu.

At the restaurant, orzo (rice-shaped pasta) is served alongside the gravy-rich lamb.

Tom Valenti was the first chef in New York City to cook this great recipe. It can be found in his book Welcome to My Kitchen, just published by HarperCollins.

If you prefer, you can pile the lamb and salad on top of a larger pocketless pita for an open-face sandwich and drizzle with sauce. Pocketless pitas are sold at specialty foods shops and many supermarkets. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 45 min

Talk about simple stews! You don't have to brown the meat — and the stew cooks in an easy hour.

A persillade is a mixture of chopped parsley - persil in French - and garlic that is added to dishes as a flavoring or garnish.

To pit the olives easily, just press them with the flat side of a knife until the meat separates from the center.

Salmoriglio is a strong, pungent lemon-herb sauce, originally from Calabria and Sicily. Serve the lamb with the chopped Greek salad to start and some grilled bread for soaking up the sauce.

For a special touch, serve a fresh tomato chutney (recipe follows) alongside.

Have the butcher "french" the lamb racks, which entails trimming the fat from the lamb and between the bones.

Posto, cardamom pods, and whole dried red chiles are available at Penzeys (800-741-7787; penzeys.com) and Kalustyan's (800-352-3451; kalustyans.com).

Begin marinating the lamb one day ahead.

The shanks need to marinate overnight, so plan ahead. Uncork a spicy Syrah, Pinot Noir or Merlot to go with dinner.