European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 18, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                60, by Pierre Franey new York times amb is the meat most closely Assoc aled with Spring but the term Spring Lamb is olten misused in the United Stales by restaurants and Rosail shops. A real Spring Lamb should be less than a year old and weigh Between 40 and 60 pounds such Lamb is prize for its tenderness. As Iamb Ages its flavor becomes snore assertive and he meal develops More muscle which makes i suitable Tor i Aisig and stewing the old Cal and strongest Lamb is called Mutton which is generally from an animal 2 to 3 years old Young Lamb should look Pale Pink. In my experience american Lamb is More tender and subtly Flavoured than new zealand Lamb. The Provencal recipe Here can be made with Spring Lamb or slightly older Lamb Mutton might be too Tough tax this Quick cooking method. I have added a Teaspoon of ground cumin. Which is a Ira Illonal spice Tor Lamb in the Middle Easl it lends a Sharp aromatic touch to tha sauce the mildly Flavoured meal absorbs the herbs used in Iho cooking. Sauteed red skin potatoes make a nne accompaniment. Leave the skin on the potatoes for extra color and texture As Well As for the Nuri Khial benefits. You can also use baby now potatoes medallion of loin of Lamb with tomatoes and Basil 3 skinless Boneless loin of Lamb about 1 i pounds 4 Ripe Plum tomatoes to Pound 3 Tablespoons Olive Ott 1 Teaspoon finely chopped flame 12 fresh Basil leaves chopped sail and freshly ground Pepper to Taite 1 Teaspoon ground cumin 3 Tablespoons butter 4 garlic cloves peeled 4 sprigs Izreah thyme or it Teaspoon dried 2 Tablespoons chopped shallots a cup water Cut the Lamb into a pieces of equal size. Remove the skin and seeds of the tomatoes and Cut them Inlow Inch chunks. There should be about t Viz cups. Heat 2 Tablespoons of the Oliva Oil in a Small Saucepan and add the chopped garlic. Cook briefly but do no Brown. Add the Lom aloes Basil leaves sail and Pepper stir and simmer 5 minutes. Keep warm. Sprinkle the Lamb with cumin Salt and Pepper heat the remaining Tablespoon Olive Ott with 1 Tablespoon butter in a nonstick Skillet Large enough to hold the Lamb in one layer. Add the Lamb garlic cloves and thyme. Brown the Lamb quickly on All sides and Cook Over relatively High heal about 4 minutes for rare. Remove the Lamb pieces to a warm Platter. Add the shallots to the pan and Cook briefly stirring until willed. Add the water. Bring to a boil and Cook t minute swirl in the remaining 2 Tablespoon Butler and any juices thai have accumulated around the Lamb. Blend Well. Table Lor seasoning. Remove garlic cloves if desired. Keep warm. Divide the Tomato sauce equally on 4 plates. Place 3 pieces of Lamb Over the sauce. Spread some shallot sauce Over the Lamb pieces. Arrange the sauteed potatoes see recipe around the Lamb. Yield 4 Servings sauteed potatoes 8 new red skinned potatoes about 1 Pound Salt to taste2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 1 Tablespoon butter freshly ground Pepper to taste Wash the potatoes and place them in a Saucepan with water to cover and Salt bring to a boil and simmer until tender about 30 minutes. Drain. When Cool enough to handle slice the potatoes Wilh skin on about i Inch thick. Thero should be 3 to 4 cups. Heat the Oil and Buller in a nonstick skill Al Large enough to hold Iho Polales in one layer. Add the potatoes Salt and Pepper. Cook Over medium High heat tossing and stirring but avoid breaking up the potato slices. Cook about 10 minutes until crusty and Brown. Yield 4 Servings. The curious chopper by Santa Heinle Why a so Many Mien Lood package say that it the contents defrost you should not rear Erie but use immediately i have on t number a occasions been delayed coming Home Faun shopping on a hot Day found Fame hem defrosted end have ref Roten them with no problem. Gysele Meyer Hollywood Fla. In How to repair food the authors Marina and John Bear advise us Hal Walter Maclinn a research special isl at Bulgers University says that it is All right to rear Erie thawed food. Maclyn says you can expect foods to be somewhat so Flor than Normal when they Are thawed the second Timo but otherwise everything is All right. This assumes of course that the food did not thaw and begin to go bad before you Reforzo it. The package of Green Beans that mostly defrosted can go Back in the deeper. The leftover Clam chowder that warmed to room temperature and smells a lit bit suspicious had Best be thrown  from my own experience i would like to add that the Erma Bombeck Quality of Tosh suiters considerably when defrosted and Rel Rozen i m Eurt Otu to lotto meaning of Fowler almonds. Do i do that in the overt How Long and do i use Oil May Smith Elgin Iii. Toasted almonds Are almonds that have been browned to bring out the flavor the Almond Board of California tells us How to roast and Toast almonds in various ways to roast spread almonds in a shallow pan lightly coated with butter Margarine or salad Oil. Heat in 350" f oven for about 10 minutes unti Dight Golden Brown stirring once or twice to assure even Browning. Mole that almonds will continue to Brown slightly alter being removed irom the oven. To roast in a Skillet lightly coat he Skillet with Oil add almonds and Cook Over medium heat shaking the pan occasionally or stirring until almonds Are a Light Golden Brown. Roasting times Are approximate smaller almonds and smaller quantities will roast faster to Toast for conventional ovens follow the same instructions As Lor roasting but use a dry a greased baking pan or Skillet microwave instructions for roasting almonds tubs almonds with Oil to Coal lightly. Arrange in single layer on a. Microwave Salo Plano heat on Lull Power two minutes. Toss and let rest Lor one minute heat iwo minutes longer until Golden Brown. Drain and Coolen paper towering. Microwave  for toasting almonds spiced a single layer of almonds on a paper plate or in a shallow baking dish Cook on full Power Tor one and a half minutes. Sir the almonds Tat stand one minute than Cook on Lull Power for another 1 i minutes. When they turn a Leasly Golden color they re done. Reader feedback making Chicken soup i asked readers for help in answering a question Pond by mrs. B. Gamer of Dellone Fla., who wanted to know if there was an easy Way that would allow one to retrieve Art the Bon and other upended Parta from Chicken soup without making Mew or taking so much time. The following mgr Jequon was among those received Ann Coluccy. Williamstown n. A if mrs. Ginger has a Metal colander preferably one Wilh handles that fits into her Stock pot. Leu her to place it in the pot. She can then place the Chicken vegetables and anything else the wants into the colander. Cover with liquid Cook and when done she can lilt the colander out of the  talk about Art Imi Sling life. Because writers on television Are on strike the prime time series Are stuck with a Bunch of Dill hangers whose characters have no idea where their lives will go. In real me people have been doing that for years. Who has Linos giving us solutions or directions we just Wing it and Start a season whether we re ready or not will Valene Ewing Gibson on knots Landing find a Way to come Back next fall big Deal. They can always a a Shower scene where it was All a bad dream. But what about the kid in real life who said goodbye to his buddies at College and see you next year will he be Ebla to get a summer Job Hal pays More than minimum wage will his patents let him move in for the third summer in three years will they humiliate him once again by having him unpack his things in the driveway to confuse the Roaches he brought with him who can get worked up Over . In his final episode thumbing his nose at the world and acting like rambo in a Cowboy hat can you possibly compare that to a baby Sitter who has just served notice that she is going to vegas this month with her Boyfriend and she knows it s a bad time and your child will be alone All summer but maybe the kid can play Blackjack with his friends until you get Home we d like to Moon her just As or. Westphall did on is. Elsewhere but this is reality. I have always wanted to take a three month hiatus in the summer like they do on television and let my life go into reigns while i regroup and sort things out. Sometimes we lend to Torget that we Are nol watching Rulh March Belore our eyes. We Are a Isilma fantasy land where pregnancies last three weeks woman clean House in $150 callans and men never appear Wilh that disgusting piece of Loisel tissue flapping on their laces where they Cut themselves shaving. During la Law s last segment my husband. Rip Van Winkle actually woke up leaned Forward in his chair and was riveted to the scene Between a Young girl who was coming on loan elderly attorney 35 years her senior. It could  said my husband nodding Wilh approval. Only with Good writers i said preferably of  my writer son was Home recently and i was in a Cliff Hanger Sonve Asalion with his fatties on whether he should buy a stick shift car that i could never drive in my lifetime. I turned to my son helplessly unas i need lines sorry. I m on strike he said. Al Erma Bombeck Page 16 the stabs and stripes wednesday May 1b, 1988