Amy made a little lamb

This Sunday, my best friend Amy and her boyfriend had us over for some nibbles and bubbly (among other libations) to celebrate my birthday (she's good to me). Anyway, I was thrilled to see that she was fixing up some of her famous lamb chops for our dining pleasure. The last time she made them for us was during Lent, and I had given up meat for 40 days and was distraught over not being able to try some.

First off, I need to get one of those grill pans for our place. We have grills out on the rooftop deck, but this winter they will be inaccessible. After seeing how well it worked for Amy, I need to really order one of our own. Let's face it - sometimes, the broiler just doesn't cut it. Plus, everything looks prettier with neat little grill marks on it.

Amy's chop recipe and coordinating dipping sauce is fairly simple (which to me is the best way!), and I'll have to improvise the sauce ingredients here since I was a little tipsy when she recounted them to me that night and unable to remember the recipe exactly... Anyway, it seems like the kind of thing that you can manipulate a little here and there and no harm will be done to it. It combines mint with cilantro and other accompaniments - sort of a grown-up version of the mint jelly we slathered over our lamb as kids. The key to the chops, however, seems to be the right equipment, and a discerning sense for when lamb chops are done to perfection (as Amy's were - perfectly pink in the center, with a seared outer crust).

Amy bought the lamb chops from the always reliable Whole Foods and had the butcher there "French" them (removing the meat and fat from bones) for easy handling. She heated her grill pan to medium high, and lightly oiled the chops. They don't take long to grill up. If you're unsure, best to take one off the grill early and test it for done-ness. You definitely don't want overcooked chops! For the sauce, Amy combined cilantro, mint, salt and pepper, olive oil, a touch of sugar and garlic (I think - I may be missing something here, but I think it will still work) in her food processor and blended it up to a brilliant, thick, green sauce.

We spooned the sauce generously over our choppies (or dipped right in, if you're me!), and gnawed away! Delicious! Plus, I think you'll find that simple sauce tastes great if you dip in some bread or veggies too. It's a little addictive.

Thank you, Amy for a delightful evening! In addition to the lamb, we guzzled Veuve Cliquot, and noshed on crostini with goat cheese and chopped tomatoes and pine nuts, not to mention the fabulous dessert of Swedish Fish!