Lamb

Last fall, my husband and I were fortunate enough to take a weeklong cruise along the Dalmatian coast to the island of Corfu, then around the tip of Italy. The Greek isle turned out to be one of my favorite ports of call. As usual, the food got my attention. A small group of us decided to tour the center of Corfu's main town and to eat lunch in one of the many cafes that line its streets. The menu, all in Greek, was indecipherable, but fortunately our waiter helped. When I couldn't make up my mind about what to order, he suggested one of the restaurant's specialties - lamb and vegetables baked in parchment.

SO, shall we expect to see Tom Cruise, his business partner Paula Wagner, Robert Redford and Meryl Streep yukking it up in costume and singing silly songs, in the wake of the disappointing opening of Lions for Lambs? Well, Miss Streep has just completed the movie version of Broadway's Mamma Mia! so there are colorful clothes and ABBA tunes galore in her future. I don't know that Tom, Paula or Redford are quite so lucky. They all had a lot of high hopes riding on Lions for Lambs, it being the initial Cruise/Wagner project out of their United Artists deal, and it is Redford's first directorial effort in seven years.

Alabama BBQ Company 4311 Harford Road -- Lauraville -- 410-254-1440 Mirchi Wok 6365A Dobbin Road -- Columbia -- 410-730-4689 Entrees $9.95-$18.95 Mango Grove, Columbia's popular vegetarian Indian restaurant, now has an omnivore cousin in Mirchi Wok, which serves hearty, masterfully spiced chicken, seafood and lamb dishes, as well as meat-free entrees. The restaurants share ownership and a front door, but each has its own kitchen and menu. Though the typical Indian kormas and kebabs are served at Mirchi Wok, so are creations like the rarra laal maas, a rich stew that marries the earthy flavors of both ground lamb and chunks of lamb with a heady mix of spices.

Eight-year-old Jason Vanisko admitted he was a little sad about selling his 1,708-pound steer, Michael, at the 4-H livestock sale at the Howard County Fair. He had raised the animal for more than a year, bottle-feeding it when it was a calf. "I'm sad to let it go," he said. But he was happy to auction his lamb, a 122-pounder named George. "I'm not sad to sell my lamb," said the Ellicott City resident. "It's mean. It head-butts me, and it tries to get away." Jason's emotions about the animals didn't change anything.

The inspiration for this main course comes from a fabulous dish I sampled in Paris last month in a neighborhood restaurant. When I couldn't decide what to choose, our waiter recommended the 7-hour roasted lamb. Slowly roasted in the oven until fork tender, the lamb was delectable, but it was the simple, elegant presentation of the entree that caught my eye. Set in the center of the plate on a bed of pureed eggplant, the meat was surrounded by a garland of roasted cherry tomatoes and roasted garlic cloves.

Chez Jacques Traditions and Rituals of a Cook Chocolate & Zucchini Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen By Clotilde Dusoulier Broadway Books / 2007 / $18.95 Clotilde Dusoulier named her popular food blog, and now her first cookbook, to convey her agreeably split culinary personality: health nut with a sweet tooth. In her chatty, accessible book, she combined the title ingredients in only a couple of dishes - Cacao and Zucchini Absorption Pasta, and Chocolate & Zucchini Cake. But unlike veteran French chef Jacques Pepin, this Internet-era upstart does not shy away from offbeat food pairings.

Edgewood senior midfielder Craig Hanzelka compiled some impressive statistics this season. But his 95 ground balls, 18 goals and 13 assists are only part of what made him an asset for the Rams. "I have never ever ever heard him in four years and two sports question a coach or back-talk a coach," said Edgewood lacrosse coach Jim Lamb, who also is an assistant coach in football. "He is `yes, sir' and `no, sir.' He never complains. He works, he hustles, he has heart, he has desire. Whenever we do sprints, he is always one of the first to finish.

Easter will be a hectic day for us this year. We are expecting our 4-year-old granddaughter and 2-year-old grandson at our house. My husband and I will be in charge of the Easter egg hunt and will hide eggs all over the backyard. Then, once the little ones have uncovered the colorful treasures, we'll move inside for a holiday meal. Because there won't be much time for cooking, I have decided to make as many dishes as possible in advance. Right away I thought of serving the glorious French stew known as navarin printanier.

On February 23, 2007, MARJORIE I. LAMB. Friends may call at the family owned MARCH FUNERAL HOME EAST, 1101 E. North Avenue on Wednesday after 8 A.M., where the family will receive friends on Thursday at 6 P.M. Funeral services will follow at 6:30 P.M.

Amy Lamb's stunning floral photographs, on view at Steven Scott Gallery in Owings Mills, inspire wonder on so many levels - aesthetic, symbolic, scientific and metaphysical - that it almost seems a cop-out to enjoy them purely as visual embodiments of sensuous delight. But surely they are that, too. Lamb has said that her photographs of rare flowers and plants are comparable to portraits; her images are as much character and personality studies as they are precise physical descriptions.