Springtime Celebrations

(Family Features) Spring is full of celebrations and rich traditions that bring the family around the table for special meals. A savory roasted leg of lamb or a dish with succulent lamb loin chops is a delicious way to enjoy a flavorful meal, no matter the occasion.

Visit American Lamb to order a free " Spring Celebrations American Lamb " cook booklet, and to find more recipes .American lamb pairs beautifully with a variety of wines. Wineries such as Kendall-Jackson have a wide selection of wines that bring out lamb's mild, meaty flavor and make it even more irresistible.-- COMPLEMENT. Similarly flavored foods and wines complement each other. Example: Citrus-based sauce and a lemony, lightly oaked Chardonnay (such as Kendall-Jackson Avant Chardonnay or Chablis from the Burgundy region of France). Example: Mushrooms with the earthy flavors of Pinot Noir.-- A bone-in leg of lamb cooks faster than a boneless leg of lamb. Use a good meat thermometer to determine doneness: Rare 135°F Medium Rare 145°F Medium 160°F-- CONTRAST. Contrasting flavors balance each other. Example: Spicy foods and sweet wines, such as Thai food and an off-dry Riesling. Example: Salty foods and crisp, high-acid wines such as Sauvignon Blanc or Champagne.Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=1538983To serve: Fill warm flatbread or pita with sliced leftover leg of lamb, thinly sliced tomatoes and cucumbers and chilled tzatziki sauce.Add to Digg Bookmark with del.icio.us Add to Newsvine-- Carve the lamb roast against the grain so the meat will be tender. A naturally tender leg of lamb cut should be sliced about one half inch thick.In bowl, add garlic, shallot, herbs, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Place lamb chops into a bowl and add 3/4 cup of marinade (reserve remaining marinade for sauce). Mix to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Grill lamb to desired temperature (medium-rare is recommended). Remove from heat and allow the lamb chops to rest for 5 minutes.Tips for Roasting American Lamb-- Remove lamb roast from oven and let rest for 20 minutes before serving. This allows the meat's juices to settle and make carving easier. (As the meat rests, the internal temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees.)Place a sheet pan in the oven and preheat to 425°F.

In a bowl, combine 1/8 cup of olive oil and remaining ingredients. Toss to coat potatoes.Drizzle chops with the reserved mint and garlic sauce. Serve with roasted potatoes and green beans.Choosing the Right WineRoasted Leg of American Lamb Serves 8 Serve with Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Merlot .Example: Weighty textures and intense flavors are a better match for more powerful wines, such as matching herb-crusted roast lamb with a robust Syrah or Merlot. To learn more, Kendall-Jackson offers a detailed food and wine pairings list.In small bowl, combine all ingredients. Rub mixture on leg of lamb. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate overnight. Bring lamb to room temperature and sprinkle with salt. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into center of leg reads 125°F to 130°F. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 20 minutes.

American Lamb Sandwich with Tzatziki Sauce Leftover roasted leg of lamb For tzatziki sauce: 1/2 English cucumber, peeled, cut in half and seeded 1 tablespoon fresh dill 2 tablespoons fresh mint 8 ounces Greek yogurt 3 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 lemon, juiced Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper

Grate cucumber with a box grater. Place grated cucumber in a strainer, sprinkle with salt and allow to drain for 20 minutes.

In a bowl, add dill, mint, yogurt, garlic and lemon juice. Squeeze as much liquid from cucumber as possible and add cucumber to the yogurt. Mix well and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.Fresh Mint and Garlic Marinated Grilled American Lamb Loin Chops with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Green Beans-- You can sear the lamb roast first in a hot 450°F oven for 15 minutes to seal in the juices and then reduce oven temp to 325°F and continue roasting for approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until internal temperature reaches 5 to 10 degrees less than your desired temperature.-- MATCH the TENOR. Match a food's weight and intensity to similar elements in wine. Example: Delicately flavored foods call for delicate varieties of wine, such as Pinot Gris or Sauvignon Blanc.In large pot, add 1 tablespoon salt and 2 quarts water; bring to a boil. Add green beans and cook until tender, approximately 4 minutes. Remove beans from water, place into bowl with butter and toss to coat. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Recipes courtesy of Kendall-Jackson Executive Chef Justin Wangler .

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Indulge in Tasty Treats and Succulent Snacks at Hyderabad Luxury Hotels

Hyderabad Baking Company, the premium deli at Hyderabad Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre, serves freshly baked products throughout the day. Baking Company, a Marriott concept, is available in India and other international locations. The first Baking Company in India, Bombay Baking Company in JW Marriott, Mumbai is a place frequented by Bollywood stars.

Add to Digg Bookmark with del.icio.us Add to NewsvineVibrant burnt orange and yellow hues create a lively and warm atmosphere. The decorations have an Indian touch and give a sense of the localization, while balancing the strong interior colors. During the day, there is ample light streaming in and giving the bakery an open, spacious feel. The Hyderabad, India restaurant's dusk lighting is warm, setting the tone for a relaxed and stress free evening. Watch the brilliant orange sun disappear into the horizon as you sip a cuppa and browse the net in this Wi-Fi zone. Unwind at this Hyderabad resort's newest bakery!Guests can grab a muffin and coffee in the morning, catch up with friends over a latte during the day, or snack on their favorite pastry in the evening, after their conferences in Hyderabad . A sandwich counter serves specials of the day, while also allowing customers to create their own sandwich. Fresh breakfast rolls, croissants, muffins, pies and tarts are available any time of the day. At twilight, HBC serves classic cocktails and spirits. Freshly baked breads are also available to pick up. There are some 13 varieties that Chef Lloyd can bake, including special Ragi bread for the health conscious, a staple at restaurants in Hyderabad, India .Sinful cakes, pastries and gateaux melt in the mouth. Handmade chocolates, healthy juices and shakes, designer coffees from an Italian espresso machine, and unusual blends of tea satisfy any thirst after a Hyderabad meeting . With a lived-in, comfortable ambience, Hyderabad Baking Company is just the right place to spend some time on your own.About the Hyderabad Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre Overlooking the Hussain Sagar Lake, Hyderabad Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre blends fresh style and traditional aesthetics to provide premium accommodation for the business and leisure traveler. Our Hyderabad hotel offers 293 well appointed, Wi-Fi enabled rooms, including 11 suites. Conveniently located among Hyderabad, India hotels , just 35 minutes from the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, HICC, Hi-Tech city, and the US Consulate, Hyderabad Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre is the perfect destination for business and leisure travelers alike.

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3 nurseries we're amped about

ALBANY

Take your garden to the tropicsSAN JOSEWhen we heard that Bernal Heights' Four Star Video turned its new-releases room Into a mini garden store called Succulence, we had a hunch it would be great--and it is. As you'd expect, you'll find choice succulents, but also block buster vertical gardens set in repurposed planters. The back patio houses one-offs like glass terrariums and driftwood panels bearing air plants. 402 Cortland Ave.; 415/282-2212.SAN FRANCISCOLOAD UP ON Mason jars, boiling pots, and books on preserving your backyard bounty.--JOHANNA SILVERLOAD UP ON Arching agaves, Japanese maples, and bamboo.--J.C.An indie with heartDon't miss ... the cheapest way to explore Yosemite, Joshua Tree, and Sequoia. During National Park Week, all 394 of the country's outdoor playgrounds open their gates free of charge. Apr 16-24; nps.gov/npweekThe South Bay has been waiting for a nursery like Green Design Outdoor Plants and Pottery (pictured). You won't find petunias or marigolds here. Instead, get wowed by rare tropical beauties like king protea (the national flower of South Africa) and planted palms taller than you 10-year-old. Zen garden geeks will thrill in the outdoor art, including Vietnamese fountains and reclining Buddhas. 415 Meridian Ave.; 408/289-1900.LOAD UP ON Perennials in 4-inch pots, vintage roses, and drought-tolerant groundcovers.--JULIE CHAIFlowerland has been peddling petals since 1947, but recently its new owners beefed up their inventory with a fresh crop of edibles (Vietnamese coriander, Moroccan mint, Thai basil) you won't find anywhere else. Another revamp we love: The nursery switched from selling chemical-based to organic fertilizers, which are easier on the planet, not to mention your conscience. 1330 Solano Ave.; 510/526-3550.

Don't miss ... the cheapest way to explore Yosemite, Joshua Tree, and Sequoia. During National Park Week, all 394 of the country's outdoor playgrounds open their gates free of charge. Apr 16-24; nps.gov/npweek

Hot pots: think of a container as the gorgeous frame to show off your plant—here are our picks from western designers

MOST INNOVATIVE

2 Trying to tackle your whole yard all at once. Do so and you'll be sorry. The project will feel like a burden, not a pleasure. Instead, work on a small area at a time and build up your gardening skills. Then move on.UP YOUR GARDEN CONFIDENCE4 Planting perennials too close together. Remember, these won't stay the same size as they are in the container (really), and they'll be in your garden for a while. Read the plant tag, believe it, and space your plants accordingly.A reisssue of a vintage Bauer Pottery design, this glossy pot is part of the Home by Sunset Collection and has a simple aesthetic that lets plants do the talking. Here, dwarf mat rush makes up the grassy backbone, super-size rosettes of echeveria and aeonium fill in the center, and tiny clumps of sedum and senecio spill over the side. Biltmore from $150; bauerpottery.com Plant design: Jared Crawford, Flora Grubb Gardens, San Francisco; floragrubb.comAfter a family pet trampled some beloved plants, designers Max and Linda Geiser created the Wallter planter. Made of long-lasting spun aluminum, it comes as a 4-foot post (shown), a hanging planter, or wall-mounted pot. Ours are planted with rosemary, silver thyme, and mint. $92 each; wallter.comThe handcrafted Esther pot shows what happens when handmade ceramics rise above the grannyish rap and truly shine. Get it in beachy blue-green (shown with coppery 'Prairie Fire' carex grass) or white and earth-tone palettes. from $16 for a 2-inch pot ($55 as shown); estherstudios.com3 Overfeeding plants. Pour on the fertilizer and plants quickly pump out weak growth, which attracts insect pests. Plus excess fertilizer leaches into groundwater. Use the amount the label says--or less.PROBLEM-SOLVER WITH STYLE5 Planting annuals too far apart. They're going to grow in your garden beds only for a season. You don't need to worry about crowding them. Instead of setting them out in skinny rows, pack them in for impact.Eugene, Oregon's Jayme Jenkins takes the scariness out of planting in her book Garden Rules: The Snappy Synopsis for the Modern Gardener (Cool Springs Press, 2011; $10), coauthored with Billie Brownell. Want the CliffsNotes? Here are her five beginner's mistakes to avoid:THE CLASSIC, REMADE1 Thinking you're a failure because you killed a plant. All gardeners kill plants and often don't know why. "Peonies don't like me. That area must be too damp. Or too dry. Or too dark." The truth is, you may never figure out what happened. Just toss it in the compost and try something else.HANDMADE AT ITS BEST

5 Planting annuals too far apart. They're going to grow in your garden beds only for a season. You don't need to worry about crowding them. Instead of setting them out in skinny rows, pack them in for impact.

Notebook; Your fruit and vegetable weekly update

Best of the Bunch Jasminum nudiflorum 1 The first stocks of overwintering onion and garlic bulbs are appearing in retail outlets so buy yours now for planting in October. Also look out for seeds of suitable varieties of broad beans and peas for autumn sowing that will give you a head start next spring.

Of course, J. nudiflorum is probably the commonest species to be planted in our gardens and it originates from W. China, making it fully hardy in our climate. It thrives, trained on a north facing wall at the Porter residence and flowers almost continuously from September to March. It can reach up to 3 metres (10') high given a good support system but can also be used to scramble across and down a banking if you want it to. It works very well with some of the smaller leaved hedera helix hybrids to provide colour and interest all year round.For scent in the garden in a warm, sunny location, you might try Jasminum officinale from Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and W. China, with its pure white, fragrant flowers. This true climber, with twining stems up to 12 metres (40') high is a perfect foil for a climbing rose or clematis over a dividing fence, arch or gazebo and, given a sunny location, will flower from mid-summer to autumn.3 Send me a picture of your favourite flower in the garden, with your name, age and address on the back and I will send a book prize to the best entry - you must be of primary school age to enter and the last date to get your entries in is Friday September 16. Graham's Photo Fury Competition, Features Department, Huddersfield Daily Examiner, Pennine Business Park, Longbow Close, Bradley Road, Huddersfield, HD2 1GQ.I will be manning the Garden Advisory Bureau once again so bring along your gardening problems and have a chat. Call the show office on 01423 546158 for tickets sales if you do not have an internet connection.Visit www.flowershow.org.uk for more details of the show which runs from September 16 to 18 at the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate.CAPTION(S):This year's autumn show includes some of the old favourites such as the Giant Onion Competition, the National Vegetable Championships, the Floral Art competitions, the photographic competition, the various plants society shows (Dahlias, Gladioli, Fuchsia, Chrysanthemums) and the wonderful displays by nurserymen from all over Britain (their theme is 'A Famous Garden'). New to this show is a Giant Vegetable Competition, the Garden Border Competition and the Fruit Show.Other hardy species to look out for include the twining climber J. beesianum, with its tiny fragrant pinkish red flowers in early to mid-summer and J. humile, an arching shrub, with fragrant, yellow flowers in late spring and early summer.2 Harvest autumn raspberries and cultivated blackberries daily and search the hedgerows for succulent wild blackberries to go with your apples.* TIMELY: Take cuttings from shrubby herbs such as rosemary and sage * WINTER WARMER: This pretty winter flowering jasmine (jasminum nudiflorum) will give you clusters of sunshine yellow flowers right through the autumn and on into springMy diary .... ? If you haven't got your tickets yet for Harrogate Autumn Flower Show, you have until September 6 to buy them on-line.There are around 200 species from across Europe, Asia and Africa, although only a limited number are fully hardy in our strange, temperate climate.Finish off any pruning of summer cane and bush fruits.Prepare vacated plots for these new crops. Take cuttings of shrubby herbs such as sage, rosemary and thyme now as replacement plants for next spring.It is sure to be a bumper event, with nearly 90 classes, including lots of children's classes, from plates of beautiful potatoes and extravagant vases of dahlias to scrumptious jars of chutney. The show opens to the public at 4pm and I will be officially opening it at 5pm. Admission 50p.AS THE first flower buds begin to open on my Jasminum nudiflorum, it has got me thinking about all the other superb climbers and shrubs that fall into this Genus.

* TIMELY: Take cuttings from shrubby herbs such as rosemary and sage * WINTER WARMER: This pretty winter flowering jasmine (jasminum nudiflorum) will give you clusters of sunshine yellow flowers right through the autumn and on into spring

BURGER KING(R) Canada Beefs Up Premium Menu Offerings With the Return of Mushroom & Swiss STEAKHOUSE XT(R) Burger

Editors Note: There is a photo associated with this press release.

Contacts: Pilot PMR on behalf of Burger King Restaurants of Canada, Inc. Laura Creedon 416-462-0199 ext. 31 laura@pilotpmr.com"Our restaurant guests have come to expect a burger of superior taste and quality - and we're seeing even more demand for premium menu items like the Mushroom & Swiss STEAKHOUSE XT®," says Cameron Loopstra, senior marketing manager, at Burger King Restaurants of Canada, Inc. "We've topped top-quality Angus beef with sauteed mushrooms, golden crispy onions and Swiss cheese for a premium sandwich that will satisfy even the most discriminating burger lover."Founded in 1954, BURGER KING® is the second largest fast food hamburger chain in the world. The original HOME OF THE WHOPPER®, the BURGER KING® system operates more than 12,200 locations serving over 11 million guests daily in 76 countries and territories worldwide. Approximately 90 percent of BURGER KING® restaurants are owned and operated by independent franchisees, many of them family-owned operations that have been in business for decades. To learn more about Burger King Corp., please visit the company's Web site at www.bk.com or follow us on www.facebook.com/burgerking and www.twitter.com/burgerking .ABOUT BURGER KING CORPORATIONTo view the photo associated with this press release, please visit the following link: http://www.marketwire.com/library/20110331-BK-MushroomSwiss-Steakhouse.jpgAttention: Food, Lifestyle and Marketing EditorsBurger King Restaurants of Canada, Inc. is beefing up its menu with the return of the premium Mushroom & Swiss STEAKHOUSE XT® Sandwich. Back by popular demand for a limited time only, this succulent twist on the classic STEAKHOUSE XT® burger is a Canadian favourite too good to miss. It starts with the fire-grilled goodness of an extra thick steakhouse burger patty, then piled high with premium toppings.

Contacts: Pilot PMR on behalf of Burger King Restaurants of Canada, Inc. Laura Creedon 416-462-0199 ext. 31 laura@pilotpmr.com

Your fruit and vegetable update; Notebook

? VEGETABLES - sow a short row of spinach now for salad leaves or for steaming later in the summer. Sow carrots now but protect them from Carrot Root Fly invasions from May time by covering the row with a protective fleece tunnel. Sow dwarf French beans under a cloche now and then sow another row in May for successional harvests Plant or containerise chitted potatoes now and chit some more on a bright windowsill for later plantings.

? FRUIT - mulch rows of cane fruit now with well-rotted manure to preserve vital moisture for succulent fruits in June and July. Apply a general fertilizer to all fruit plants, bushes, canes and trees now to ensure good balanced growth. If your soil is a little on the acid side, give apples and pears a light dressing of garden lime to prevent the Calcium deficiency symptom, bitter pit, from developing inside the fruit later in the summer.