Not those kind of mushrooms, silly. You want these mushrooms -- namely, dried porcini mushrooms -- in your kitchen. They keep indefinitely in your pantry and can easily be reconstituted for use with pasta, risotto, soups and sauces. Or you can simply blitz the heck out of them and turn them into dust.

Porcini mushroom dust is a magical elixir, fragrant with umami-rich aroma and flavor, and a gorgeous ingredient to add to rubs and marinades. Its earthy, smoky flavor melds beautifully with garlic and herbs, such as rosemary and thyme, and is an excellent complement to meats, such as beef and lamb, when used as a rub.

While dried porcini mushrooms are pricey by the pound, the good news is that you don't need a lot of them to make this rub -- all you need is a half-ounce. When the mushrooms are dried, their flavor intensifies, so a little goes a long way. Other dried mushrooms, such as shiitakes, may be substituted, but in terms of flavor, the porcini is best. I use a spice grinder to blitz the mushrooms before mixing them with the rub ingredients, for a pasty consistency. If you don't have a spice grinder, you can use a mini-food processor, with slightly coarser results.

Note: If the dried mushrooms are slightly spongy and not entirely crisp before grinding, cut them into 1/2-inch pieces, spread on a small baking tray, and place in a 300-degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove and cool to room temperature before grinding.

Porcini and Rosemary Crusted Lamb Loin Chops

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes, plus 20 minutes drying time if needed

Yield: Serves 4

1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 lamb loin chops, each about 1-inch thick

Finely grind the mushrooms in a spice grinder. Transfer to a small bowl and add 3 tablespoons oil, garlic, rosemary, salt and black pepper and stir to blend.

Coat the lamb on all sides with the rub and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat in a large ovenproof skillet. Add the lamb to the pan without overcrowding. Cook until brown on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook to your desired doneness, about 8 to 10 minutes for medium-rare. Remove from the oven, tent with foil, and let rest 10 minutes before serving.

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Have you been tasked with bringing a springtime platter of food to feed a crowd for brunch later this month? I make a version of this sunny salad for Easter brunch every year. It's a lovely way to show off the season's new asparagus, while ticking the boxes for fresh, gluten-free and crowd-pleasing, with a visual wow-factor worthy of a buffet spread.

The garnishes make all of the difference in this salad. Oven-crisped prosciutto yields satisfyingly crunchy, salty shards to the al dente asparagus, and a topping of egg mimosa not only symbolizes spring, it's pretty darn colorful. Wait, Mimosa, you ask? No, I am not talking about the sparkly champagne brunch cocktail (although that would make a mighty fine accompaniment to this salad). Mimosa is a French culinary term that refers to finely grated or sieved hard-cooked eggs, which are dusted over salads and vegetables or used as the key ingredient in deviled eggs. You might understand why the eloquent-minded French would select the term "mimosa" for such a preparation. Not only is it wonderfully poetic and mellifluous to say, it's also apt in description: The crumbled canary yellow yolk of the egg resembles the brilliant mimosa flower, which blooms early in the spring.

The whole salad is napped together with a bright and lemony vinaigrette and finished with delicate spring herbs, such as tarragon and chervil. If you are looking for a springtime salad statement, this is your salad.

Roasted Asparagus Salad With Crispy Prosciutto and Egg Mimosa

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

1 pound asparagus (medium thickness), ends trimmed

1 tablespoon plus 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 ounces prosciutto

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon champagne vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

4 ounces mixed spring greens (such as arugula, mizuna, spinach)

2 hard-cooked eggs

1/4 cup fresh tarragon or chervil, chopped

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread the asparagus on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, lightly season with salt and pepper, and turn to coat. Transfer to the oven and roast until the asparagus are bright green and crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the stalks. Remove and transfer the asparagus to a plate to cool. Do not turn off the oven.

While the asparagus cool, arrange the prosciutto in one layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Transfer to the oven and bake until the prosciutto is shriveled and firm to the touch, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove and cool to room temperature (the prosciutto will continue to harden as it cools). Break the slices into shards.

Whisk the 1/3 cup oil, the lemon juice, champagne vinegar, mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.

Spread the greens on a serving platter or in a wide, shallow serving bowl. Arrange the asparagus in the center of the greens. Drizzle the dressing around the asparagus. Grate the eggs over the asparagus, and then sprinkle the prosciutto shards and the tarragon over the entire salad. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper. Serve at room temperature.

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The bane of my childhood candy experience was a Mounds bar. I just didn't get it. I would bite into the promising chocolate nugget, which would immediately give way to a chewy, shredded, nutty interior, that, in my opinion, had no rightful place in a chocolate bar. It was clearly the texture that I did not like.

I was mystified by my friends, who bought super-sized packages of Almond Joys to scarf down when we went to the movies. Every Halloween, when my brothers and I would pile our loot in the middle of the kitchen table, gloating and eyeing trade-ups, my chocolate-covered coconut bars were the first I'd offer up with no regrets. Sadly, my brothers were not so keen on coconut either, so the negotiating could get ugly.

As a parent, it baffled me that my children loved coconut. But as chief cookie baker, I stepped up to the plate and used coconut more and more freely in bars, cakes and cookies. And you know what? I, too, developed a fondness for this tropical "nut," appreciating its flaky fresh and nutty interruption in a sea of sugar. I guess you could say I grew up.

I eat coconut now, unforced, and prefer it paired with dark chocolate. Sometimes I make macaroons, a jumble of coconut bound together with egg white and condensed milk. Yes, the milk is icky-sweet, but it seems to yield the best juicy-soft interior, which is what prevents dryness and distinguishes a great macaroon. I've followed a recipe from Ina Garten from time to time, but switch out some of the sweetened coconut with unsweetened, which I find reduces some of the cloyness, and add a whiff of almond extract. Oh, and I always give them a generous dunk in dark chocolate, which has a magnificent grounding effect on, well, everything.

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

Active time: 20 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

Yield: Makes about 24

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

7 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

7 ounces unsweetened shredded coconut

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 large egg whites, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 ounces dark (70 percent) chocolate

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine the milk, coconut, vanilla and almond extract in a large bowl and stir to blend.

Beat the egg whites and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gently fold into the coconut.

Drop heaping tablespoon-sized mounds of coconut, about 1 1/2 inches apart, on the baking sheets. Bake on the center rack in the oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheets to ensure even baking. Remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

While the cookies are baking, melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water at low heat, stirring until smooth. Dip one half of each macaroon in the melted chocolate and transfer to a board or platter lined with parchment.

Refrigerate until set. Store at room temperature for up to 4 days.

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