Lamb

Claude H. Lamb Sr., a retired Baltimore police officer, died of cancer April 17 at his Irvington home. He was 75. Born and raised in Burgaw, N.C., he moved to Baltimore in early 1950s. He attended what is now Morgan State University. He joined the city police force in 1967 and had assignments in communications and in the Southwestern, Western and Central districts before retiring in 1994, family members said. He was a past first vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police and a charter member of the Vanguard Justice Society, an association of black city police officers.

While the younger children petted and talked to the lambs, hogs and goats trotting around in pens at the Howard County Fairgrounds, older 4-H participants measured, prodded and squeezed the animals, regarding them with analytical eyes. A good market lamb "has to be between 50 and 60 pounds ... with a neck real skinny and long," said Karen Vanisko, 9, of Ellicott City. What about the lamb's backside? asked her aunt. "You want it to be square," Karen said. She thought she had found a contender in the first lamb to be auctioned, bidding up to $150.

Passed from life to eternity on April 17, 2006. He was the beloved husband of Bertha Lamb and the devoted father of Wanda Toolabi, Claude, Jr., Terry and John Lamb. He is also survived by 11 grandchildren, two brothers, one son-in-law, two daughter-in-laws and a host of other relatives and friends. Friends may offer condolences at the James A. Morton & Sons Funeral Funeral Home, 1701 Laurens Street on Thursday, April 20th between 3-7 P.M. Services will be held at the New Mount Zion Baptist Church, 823 N. Mount Street on Friday, April 21st.

Dimitris Spiliadis tells me that when drinking Greek wines, I should remember the lemon and the lamb. In Greek cooking, he says, "there is no escaping the lemon." It plays a central role in many dishes. So, he says, many of the white wines of Greece display acidic flavors that stand up to the citrus notes of the lemon. He tells me this as he pours glasses of Haggipavlu Moschofilero Mantinia 2002 and Kir-Yianni Samaropetra 2003. Indeed, these two whites have a sharpness that goes well with a plate of olives or a piece of grilled grouper squirted with lemon.

This Sunday, the Greek Orthodox community will celebrate its Easter with roast lamb, starches, vegetables, spinach pies, traditional breads, cheese and olives. But before the feast comes magiritsa. Roughly translated, magiritsa (also spelled mayeritsa) means "little cook" or "little food" prepared to mark the end of the 40-day Lenten period, when many Greeks observe some form of fast. They consume this egg-lemon soup with lamb to slowly introduce meat into the stomach. Typically, the Greek Easter service takes place Saturday night and the magiritsa is eaten afterward, sometimes as late as 2 a.m. "Lamb is the most important meat in Greece and, in fact, in most Christian cultures in the Mediterranean because Christ is the lamb of God," says Clifford A. Wright, a food historian and author of A Mediterranean Feast, which traces the origins of the region's cuisines.

The Gourmet Cookbook calls crown roast of lamb "so sophisticated and fancy that it has come to be virtually synonymous with luxurious eating." The 2004 cookbook, edited by Ruth Reichl, also calls the crown roast something more surprising: "easy." HOW TO A step-by-step guide to butchering and preparing a crown rack of lamb. pg 5F

Green just isn't what it used to be -- at least not in home design. Remember when environmentally friendly furnishings were something tree huggers purchased? Ugly bark and twig chairs that said, "I'm saving the earth?" The rest of us brought nature indoors with a fern-patterned throw pillow or two. Well, wake up and smell the greenhouse gases. With the opening of Bluehouse in Fells Point, the city has a store devoted exclusively to eco-decor, from reclaimed dishes to organic sofas. You don't have to drive a hybrid to love the look of these furnishings.

A few weeks ago at a French bistro, my husband and I and a couple of friends all eyed a delicious beef stew listed on the menu. Much to our chagrin, the kitchen had run out of this tempting dish. After our bistro experience, I pored over cookbooks in search of a rich, satisfying dish to make for a weekend dinner. I found inspiration in one of my favorite Silver Palate recipes -- Chicken Marbella -- and from Paula Wolfert's Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco (Harper Collins, $19)

Hard Times Cafe Copra 313 N. Charles St. -- 410-727-6080 Hours --11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.-11 p.m. Friday; 4:30 p.m.-11 p.m. Saturday Though the lamb chili, $8.34, sounds exotic, it doesn't taste that different from beef chili, and costs a couple of bucks more. Copra packs it with beans and sprinkles cheese on top, but the dish is light on the chili flavor. Know of a good carryout place? Let us hear about it. Write to sam.sessa@baltsun.

On December 5, 2005, DOROTHY LAMB;loving mother of Delatha Fields, Robert Satchell, Durline Morrison and Rose Hall. Friends may visit at the Gary P. March Funeral Home, 270 Fred Hilton Pass on Tuesday, from 11 to 7 P.M. Family will receive friends at the chapel on Wednesday, 11:00 to 11:30 A.M., with homegoing services immediately following. Interment Garrison Forest Veterans Cemtery.