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.

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I was always scared to attempt risotto, so it wasn't until culinary school that I realized how easy they actually are. Time consuming, yes. Hard? Not at all. But then I discovered baked risotto and I've never looked back. This version with peas, asparagus, and pancetta is a personal favorite, and the epitome of spring! 

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My favorite part about the weather slowly turning warmer are more opportunities to eat together with friends, preferably outdoors. Potlucks are the easiest way to go about that, and lucky for us, there's a whole world out there beyond potato salad. 

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When I decided to host a casual yet elegant weekend brunch for my book club, I knew immediately that the main dish would be a quiche. For me, quiche is the ultimate special brunch treat, combining flaky, buttery crust with a rich yet light egg custard studded with flavorful mix-ins — in this case, sweet roasted cherry tomatoes, fragrant basil and tangy bits of goat cheese. And while it seems like a lot of work, most of the prep can be done ahead of time, leaving you with plenty of time to get dressed and relax on the morning of the party.

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Jenny Rosenstrach, author of Dinner: A Love Story and the blog of the same name, summed up the last few years of her writing on the family dinner in such a funny, wise, helpful, and entertaining post last week. She laid out her 50 rules for dinner, and then her husband did the same, starting with: "When making pasta, be sure to salt the water." Want to see all of their rules for dinner? What would your rules for dinner be? 

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Has fennel crossed your kitchen threshold yet? If you've never tried fennel, it helps to know that it's used as an herb as frequently as a vegetable. It is very aromatic, with a slightly sweet, little-bit-spicy anise flavor. The super versatile bulb is shredded to make salads and side dishes, braised with chicken or fish for heartier dinners, and pureed into soups and sauces. I've even had fennel ice cream, and it was quite wonderful. But after all of those great uses for the bulb — what about the stalks and those showy, feathery green leaves? Here are some tips for using the entire head of fennel.

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I have to admit, I long for the day when I can plan my dinner parties well and have enough kitchen space to plate individual courses. For now, family style portions help keep the meal moving quickly from kitchen to table. How does it work in your home? More

Much like training for a 10k, planning a dinner party looks manageable from afar. Decide on the menu the week before, clean on Tuesday, buy groceries on Wednesday, and so on until Friday night rolls around and the party has practically come together on its own. However, just like that first long training run that leaves you huffing and puffing, wondering if you'll ever see the race start, let alone the finish line, more than once I've found myself an hour into the menu planning, surrounded by cookbooks and blogs, having underestimated the feat ahead. This is why I turn to braised beef. 

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At the start of spring, the whole world seems to be bursting with tiny, irresistible signs of new life: green leaves sprouting from branches, fuzzy kittens popping up in my Facebook feed, and tender, sweet new potatoes making their brief annual appearance at the market. They may not last long, but when preparing ingredients this fresh and fleeting, the upside is that you don't have to do much to make them stand out. Simply boiled and tossed with fresh herbs and anchovy-flecked butter, new potatoes are a savory, soul-satisfying way to celebrate spring.

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One-dish dinners are so called because one big scoop contains everything you could want or need to fill your belly. Everything from the veg to the meat gets layered into the same skillet, pot, or casserole dish, and cooked together. Sometimes they're ready in a matter of minutes and sometimes they bubble away for hours. Either way, these are big dishes that will easily feed a crowd — all without a pile of pots and pans to clean up afterward.

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