Tonight we had a celebration dinner for a young woman who admits to the ripe age of 32. And we invited my brother, who is highly sociable, and likes lamb.

She had much my dinner at my birthday:

Rack of Lamb with Rosemary and Scallion from Sarah Moulton on the Food Network:

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons thinly sliced scallion including the green part
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 (1 1/4 pound) trimmed and frenched single rack of lamb (7 or 8 ribs)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup mustard

In a small skillet heat the oil over moderate heat until it is hot but not smoking, add the red pepper flakes, and cook them, stirring, for 10 seconds. Add the garlic and cook it, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the scallion and the rosemary and cook the mixture, stirring, for 10 seconds. Stir in the bread crumbs and salt and pepper, to taste, and remove the skillet from the heat. Mix the mayonnaise and mustard in a small bowl, set aside.

Heat an ovenproof skillet over moderately high heat until it is hot and in it brown the lamb, seasoned with salt and pepper, turning it for 5 minutes, or until the sides and the ends are browned evenly. Pour off any fat from the skillet, arrange the lamb, fat and meat side up, and brush with mayonnaise/mustard mixture. Then pat the crumb mixture evenly on the fat and meat side of the lamb.

Bake the lamb in the middle of a preheated 475 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 130 degrees for medium-rare meat. Transfer the lamb to a platter, let it stand, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

We also ate Mushrooms Mireille from the Plantation Cookbook, a New Orleans Junior League production.

Here is that recipe:

MUSHROOMS MIREILLE
(Stuffed mushrooms)

40 mushrooms, stems removed
1 stick butter
4 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
1-1/2 cups crabmeat
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons sherry
Paprika

Slightly saute mushroom caps in 3 tablespoons butter. Transfer mushrooms to buttered baking dish. Saute green onions in two tablespoons butter; remove from heat and add crabmeat. In another pan cook and stir flour in 3 tablesppons butter for 5 minutes, but do not brown. Heat milk and stir into cooked flour until smooth. Add salt, pepper and sherry, and cook until sauce thickens. Mix in green onions and crabmeat. Correct seasoning. Stuff mushroom caps, sprinkle lightly with paprika, and bake in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.

For this one, we found some substantial mushrooms. I wound up with 2 cups of crab after picking out shell particles. I upped the other ingredients by a third, and could stuff about 30. We're talking large button mushrooms here, not portabellas.

Crudites, grilled asparagus, and red grapes filled out the menu.

UPDATE: For you parents out there. We were talking about teenagers. Our girl said, "I said about five words to my mother when I was a teenager, and they were all rude."