Lamb

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires additional unattended time.

Lamb has a tender consistency and a rich flavor that enhance the texture of wines such as Hermitage, Côte Rôtie, and Shiraz.

In this take on a classic salad, we combine bulgur with the usual tomatoes, green onions, parsley and mint, then add garbanzo beans and broiled lamb for a change of pace.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

From the Spa at Doral in Miami.

Rice pilaf and sautéd Swiss chard would be nice accompaniments, and some sweetened strawberries spooned over pound cake would make a good dessert.

The secret to this dish is to trim the okra very carefully at the top, cutting the stem without cutting open the okra at all.

The bread, the lamb and the charmoula--a spicy mix of red bell pepper, onion, cilantro and spices--combine beautifully in this bread from executive chef Rafih Benjelloun of Imperial Fez restaurant in Atlanta.

Called tzatziki in Greece, this yogurt sauce can also be used on a baked potato as a nonfat alternative to sour cream. To prevent the pita bread in this recipe from getting soggy, place the trimmed portion of the bread down into the pocket to act as a sponge for the lamb drippings and yogurt.

We ordered our lamb chops ahead to allow time for the butcher to french them to the eye (to trim them of all fat and scrape the rib bone clean). This not only makes for a nice presentation but also makes it much easier for guests to pick them up. Our chops, purchased from a fancy Manhattan butcher, cost $400 and were by far the most expensive part of this wedding menu. Sounds like a lot, we know, but just think what a caterer would charge. Charmoula is a fragrant, spicy Moroccan marinade and sauce often used with fish and seafood.

The manly art of grilling reached its first peak in this decade, as dads stood by their Webers, stoking the fire and pulling dinner from its clutches while moms did the shopping and cleanup. Besides burgers and wienies, people loved to make shish kebab. Today, grilling knows no gender, and skewers remain a handy way to prepare small foods. Experience has taught us that the vegetables are best cooked separately, or not at all—as this hot-cold, tender-crunchy wonder of a sandwich illustrates.

Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr

These lamb chops—an easier version of recipes you may have made before—go nicely with sugar snap peas with ginger and garlic and couscous with apricots .