Well, here we are at the end of another week! Anyone throwing a dinner party this weekend? Maybe a spontaneous get together with a few friends? Planned or unplanned, put these lamb chops on your menu — they're classy and easy to make, plus the recipe comes complete with sauce and side dishes. Or pick up some black cod and give this riff on Nobu's great recipe a try. With these or any of these recipes from last week, you really can't go wrong.

Mint is a terrific herb to keep around the kitchen — or to grow on your own! It's very hearty. (Just keep it away from other herbs, because it'll overtake them.) As a kitchen herb, it pairs wonderfully with a variety of dishes. Throw it into your morning smoothie, make a mint pesto to top chicken, or pan fry it with ramps and spaghetti. If you have a bunch of mint to work with, look to these 10 recipes for a little inspiration.

A few years back, some friends and I got into a real Saturday night routine. We'd gather at someone's house, order Chinese food, and bring out the games — Settlers of Catan, Risk, Monopoly (old-school!), you name it. When the food arrived, we'd take a break and fill up our plates. I'm thinking it's time to bring back these Saturday game nights — but this time, I'll do the cooking!

We've finally reached the tipping point between yearning for the arrival of fresh green things and actually seeing them start to show up in stores. Asparagus! Spring arugula! Artichokes! Pea shoots, soon to be followed by actual peas! It's time to satisfy our cravings for all things crisp, fresh, and green, and here are 10 vegetarian pasta dishes that will surely do the job right.

Is it 5:00 yet? Because the drinks and snacky bites from this past week are looking mighty tempting. I'm thinking those real Mexican margaritas would go mighty fine with a handful of cheddar olives. A coupe glass with that pretty Four Bitters Cocktail would also be excellent company for our radicchio salad with red quinoa and avocado. Or go full-on springtime with a strawberry gin smash and a plate of risotto studded with asparagus spears. And a bowl of caramel popcorn for dessert. Bring on cocktail hour!

I absolutely love a good cocktail party and think we should all be throwing them a lot more often. It's less pressure than hosting a full-on dinner party, you get to invite more people to stand in clusters around your apartment's tiny living room, and you still get to pull out your high heels. Plus, cocktail appetizers are the best. When else do you get to eat half a dozen bacon-wrapped potato bites with well-shaken Manhattan and call it dinner?

Who's feeling ready to throw a dinner party? I know I am after this past week, if only as an excuse to make these tasty-looking Herbed Polenta Bites. We also had a tutorial on how to make the softest dinner rolls, a cauliflower pasta dish with tomato-cream sauce, miso sweet potato bites, a tomato and goat cheese quiche, and a springtime orange-y margarita — all party-worthy dishes if I ever saw them!

Spring seems to be the season for moving — at least judging by the number of my friends who are packing up and moving homes right now! As soon as the books are on the shelves and the forks are back in a drawer, it's time to invite the masses over to check out your awesome new digs. A bag of chips and bowls of dip will not suffice for this housewarming, oh no! Let's make sure this party is the memorable first of many more to come.

When it comes to easy and crowd-pleasing appetizers, cream cheese will always have your back. Spread it on toast bites and top with sliced radishes for an elegant hors d'oeuvre or warm it up with beans and spices for a party dip. Whatever the scene, whatever your need, cream cheese is your willing and able ally in the appetizer department.

Hello, spring! Doesn't it feel like warmer weather is just around the corner? A bowl of this creamy, slightly spicy cauliflower soup is the perfect antidote to these lingering chilly nights. If you're having friends over to share your meal, make some herby new potatoes and a batch of socca with spring pesto to serve alongside. Watching the Mad Men premiere after dinner? This classic sidecar cocktail is a definite must.