Feeling spicy? When I crave a good dose of spice and fragrance, I head to Asia, the Middle East or North Africa -- in my dreams. In reality, I head to my kitchen, where I fling open the spice cabinet and get cooking. I made these merguez patties recently when I was craving the heat and aromatic flavors of North Africa: harissa, garlic, coriander and mint. These feisty patties hit the spot -- well, an airline ticket would have really hit the spot, but, hey, this was a pretty good stand-in for a school night.

What really tipped these patties for me was the use of whole spices that I toasted and ground in my mortar. If you haven't tried doing this, then you are missing a big component in the flavor department. It's not as complicated as it sounds, and the results are well worth it. Whole spices are readily found in the spice section of your supermarket, gourmet and spice shops -- even online. When you are ready to use the spices, toast the seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Then transfer to a spice grinder or a mortar, and blitz or pound the spices until fine. The flavor is light years better than pre-ground spice.

Lamb Merguez Patties and Couscous Salad

Prep time: 30 minutes

Total time: 2 hours and 15 minutes

Yield: makes 18 to 20 (2-inch) patties

Couscous Salad:

1 1/2 cups couscous

1 1/4 cup water

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small red bell pepper, finely diced

1 small poblano or green pepper, finely diced

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Lamb Merguez Patties:

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

2 pounds ground lamb

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons harissa paste

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil (if pan-frying)

Prepare the couscous: Place the couscous, water, lemon juice and olive oil in a medium pot. Bring to a simmer, cover, and remove from heat. Let stand until liquid is absorbed and couscous is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork; add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.

Prepare the patties: Toast the cumin, coriander and fennel seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Grind to a fine powder in a mortar with pestle or a spice grinder.

Transfer the remaining patty ingredients except olive oil to a large bowl. Add the toasted spices and mix until combined without overworking the meat. Form into 2-inch patties. (Depending on your preferences, you can make 18 to 20 patties.) Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Remove the patties from the refrigerator and let stand 10 minutes. Grill over direct high heat or pan-fry in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat until brown and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once.

Serve with couscous salad, pita bread, Greek yogurt and a squirt of harissa if you're feeling extra spicy.

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My favorite cooking vessel is my cast-iron skillet. I call it one-stop shopping in the kitchenware department. Not only is a cast-iron skillet handy on the stovetop, you can use it in the oven and even on the grill. Recently, I made a simple carbonara pasta dish in my cast-iron skillet.

Carbonara is the Italian version of chicken soup -- a comforting dish for all ages -- which consists of pasta and cured pork (guanciale) or bacon, whisked in a sauce of eggs and grated Pecorino cheese. The method is quick. It relies on the heat from the freshly cooked pasta to sufficiently cook the eggs and melt the cheese while the sauce is vigorously stirred to prevent the eggs from scrambling. From start to finish, this dish can be whipped up in less than 30 minutes.

I often mix vegetables into my carbonara, which add extra oomph to the recipe and allows me to call it a one-dish family meal, replete with the nutrients from the veggies. Peas are a year-round contender since frozen peas can easily be added to the mix. In the springtime, though, I like to add fresh asparagus.

Asparagus Carbonara

Active time: 25 minutes

Total time: 25 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

8 ounces thick-cut bacon (or guanciale), cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for sprinkling

1 pound orecchiette

3/4 pound thin asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

Cook the bacon in batches in a large skillet over medium heat until the fat renders and the bacon is crispy. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel. When cool enough to handle, break into small pieces. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from the skillet.

Whisk the eggs and cheese in a bowl until blended and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the orecchiette and cook according to the package instructions until al dente; drain.

While the pasta is cooking, add the asparagus, garlic, salt and red pepper flakes to the skillet. Saute over medium heat until asparagus is bright and crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the drained orecchiette to the skillet and stir to combine. Remove the pan from the heat and quickly add the eggs and cheese, stirring constantly to coat the pasta and to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Add the bacon to the skillet and stir once more. Serve immediately and garnish with additional grated cheese and freshly ground black pepper.

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It's easy to be greedy at this time of year when fresh spring produce clutters the farmers market tables. I can't resist buying a rotation of asparagus, sweet peas and early strawberries, which pass through our kitchen to the dining table on a daily basis. You'd think that we would tire of all of this seasonal goodness, but it never seems to be the case.

It does help to have a variety of recipes to choose from, though, just to change things up a bit, which is why I like to make this strawberry cake. While nothing beats fresh sun-sweetened strawberries, eaten au naturel or swiped through a cloud of whipped cream, try putting aside a pint or two to make this simple cake. It's light, gently sweetened and generously studded with as many strawberries as you can fit. (This is when it's good to be greedy.) I halved the jumbo-sized strawberries in the pictured cake, but I recommend quartering them if they're very large; they'll break down into juicy puddles while baking and mark the cake with luscious streaks.

Strawberry Cake

Active time: 15 minutes

Total time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, divided

1 pound strawberries, halved (or quartered if very large)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch pie or baking dish.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.

Combine the butter and the 3/4 cup sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add the egg, buttermilk, vanilla and almond extracts, and 1 teaspoon lemon zest; mix to combine. Add the flour and mix to thoroughly combine without overmixing.

Pour the batter into the prepared dish and spread evenly. Arrange the strawberries, cut-sides down, on top of the batter, gently pressing to partially submerge. Squeeze in as many strawberries as possible and reserve the rest for serving. Sprinkle the top of the cake with the 1 tablespoon sugar.

Bake the cake until the top is light golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon lemon zest. Cool slightly and serve lukewarm or at room temperature with whipped cream and extra strawberries.

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