Recipes and Ruminations

This is a great side dish for nearly anything, but it's especially good with salmon. Use frozen pearl onions here — they're a lot easier to deal with than fresh....

A roasted, boneless leg of lamb makes a perfect spring dinner. This roast is mild and tender. It's delicately seasoned with mild aromatics. But the best part is that it's easy to carve (boneless) and it can all be prepared a day ahead....

Tiny tartlets are a perfect welcome to spring. This "White Chocolate-Coconut Tartlet" is an even richer version of coconut cream pie. The crust is similar to a chocolate cookie and completely baked before filling. It's crisp, not soft, and makes a crunchy contrast to the creamy filling. The crusts are filled with rich white chocolate-coconut pastry cream that's lightened with whipped cream. The only garnish needed is more whipped cream and toasted coconut....

Baby beets are a great side dish. But, like other baby spring vegetables, they're fragile and must be cooked with respect. Boiling leaches nutrients and flavor out of the vegetables and into the water. Sauteing in butter or oil can overpower delicate flavors. But steamed vegetables taste like themselves ? with vitamins and flavor intact and no added fat. These baby beets can stand on their own, but a vinaigrette adds an extra flavor boost. ....