It's not very often that I whip up a plated lamb dinner for friends. Good-quality lamb is a real splurge, but sometimes life's events call for nothing less than the best. This simple, showstopping menu does just that.

Lamb can be a tough sell for many people. Between its reputedly strong flavor and not quite knowing how to cook it, we pass it over for more familiar cuts. But it's worth giving lamb a chance because when it's done right, a plate of tender flavorful lamb is a beautiful thing. When is the last time you had lamb for dinner? More

When the temperature takes a permanent nosedive and fall is starting to look a lot more like winter, shepherd's pie is one of the first things that I crave. One enormous square of this casserole, with its blanket of mashed potatoes and that savory meat-and-vegetable filling, sends a sigh of contentment through my whole body. One casserole makes more than enough for my household of two, so I can look forward to comfort meals all week long. More

My Chinese teacher once told me that all Beijing expats start out by learning the same three words: nihao, pijiu, and yangrou chuanr - hello, beer, and lamb chuanr. Those three words are the essentials, because that's all you need to know to get a great dinner anywhere in the city, just find the nearest chuanr stand. More

As a restaurant employee, let me just say this. Please don't go out to dinner on Valentine's Day. In fact, please stay home the week before and after. I beg of you. I won't elaborate, but why fight for a reservation when you can cook up a delicious, romantic meal in the privacy of your own home.

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When my boyfriend and I first started dating, he invited me over for a home cooked meal. However, living in New York City, my expectations for home cooking on a date were limited. Would he make macaroni or spaghetti? But when he told me the menu involved a dish he learned from his mom in Turkey, I prepared for some seriously delicious food. More

The Environmental Working Group recently released a guide which ranks proteins based on their environmental impact. It's not shocking that lentils top the list of the most environmentally-friendly foods you can eat, but we were surprised by two of the three foods that have the biggest affect on climate change. More

Cookbooks often make me feel inspired, and frequently very hungry. But it is rare that a cookbook will actually make me laugh out loud. A drawing of spacemen landing on a pile of toasted flatbread? Or a cartoon shark swimming in a bowl of creamy chowder? Now, that's funny stuff.

And it's indicative of the playful and welcoming tone of this latest cookbook from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall of River Cottage farm. These are the kinds of recipes I want to cook all the time: fresh flavors, simple to make, and tummy-rubbing good. This recipe for spicy lamb burgers on the grill is the perfect example. More

I think we can all agree that marmite and vegemite can be considered an acquired taste. Personally, I love a thin smear of marmite on a piece of buttered toast, so pungent that it makes my tongue tingle. But love it or hate it, there are still plenty of ways to use this sticky paste in the kitchen. More

Over the past few years, when I've had a question about Passover or kosher cooking, I've turned to one person: Leah Koenig. She was the editor of The Jew and the Carrot for two years, and now she has just written a beautiful new book: The Hadassah Everyday Cookbook. Here's a quick review and a peek inside, with a delicious cucumber lamb salad — perfect for lunch or for Passover itself. More