Lamb

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 2 3/4 hr

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

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

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

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

Mix chopped cucumber and tomato into plain yogurt for spooning into the pita. Also offer couscous salad and marinated vegetables from the deli. Round out the meal with baklava and grapes.

(Epaule d'Agneau Braisée au Thym, Sauté de Carottes et Fenouil) Have a butcher cut the lamb shoulder-blade chops about two inches thick for this dish.

If you are using cherry tomatoes on the vine and get 1 large cluster, simply cut the vines into 4 clusters before grilling and serving with the lamb.

The long cooking time makes this lamb meltingly tender. Offer noodles alongside.

Look for red curry paste in the Asian section of the supermarket. Serve with: Lentil and rice pilaf and sautéed mixed vegetables. Dessert: Sliced papaya and mango.

Offer some homemade breadsticks with the lamb: Just cut a French bread baguette lengthwise into quarters; brush with olive oil that has been mixed with fresh herbs. Grill alongside the lamb until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Serve raspberries and cream with cookies for dessert.

Ask your butcher to remove the backbones from the racks to make carving easier. If the lamb has not been trimmed, cut off the outer layer of fat and about two inches of the fat between the bones (the bones will be exposed); this technique is called "Frenching." Begin preparing the lamb a day before serving to allow time for marinating.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 40 min

Khoresht Gheimeh This Persian stew recipe is adapted from the one that chef Homa Khakpour serves at Shiraz Kabab Cafe and Food Market. It's a terrific main course, which she pairs with chelo (steamed rice with melted butter). Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 2 hr

Active time: 1 1/2 hr Start to finish: 5 1/2 hr