| There was a time when if you offered me a choice of cake flavors, I'd always pick chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. Now, after tasting my colleague Aaron Hutcherson's Triple Coconut Cake, I'm wavering. I can't stop thinking about this beautiful cake, with its dense, coconut-flavored layers and the crisped, toasted coconut flakes pressed into the creamy frosting. If you've been pondering what to serve for Easter feasting or any springtime celebration, check it out. You won't be disappointed. Speaking of Easter, lamb is a traditional main course for that holiday, and this Butter-Basted Lamb Chop dish from Alexis deBoschnek's "To the Last Bite" is a great option, especially if time is tight and you're serving a small-ish group. The cookbook author worked as a test kitchen manager for BuzzFeed's Tasty, so she knows how to keep the prep simple and the results big-flavored. Can you get your hands on ripe plantains? If so, consider these Curried Chickpea Plantain Boats. Joe Yonan made the recipe from Craig and Shaun McAnuff's "Natural Flava," which calls for roasting the plantains and then stuffing them with a Caribbean curry made with chickpeas for a vegan main dish or side. None of us needs permission to eat what we want, but I felt validated somehow by how many of my colleagues cheered at the idea of this dips for dinner recipe roundup, which includes my Cheesy Chorizo and Bean Skillet, an Armenian Blistered Eggplant Dip and Becky Krystal's Hot Buffalo Chicken Dip. Sometimes, it's good to know you're not alone in your indulgences. Join us Wednesday, April 13, at noon (ET) for our weekly food Q&A at washingtonpost.com/live-chats/. We'll answer any food- or cooking-related questions, but as you can tell from the recipe lineup this week, we're deep into spring! You can post questions in advance here. Happy cooking!  (Scott Suchman for The Washington Post/food styling by Lisa Cherkasky for The Washington Post) Coconut cake is highly revered in soul food and Southern cuisines, with a history that dates back to at least the 19th century. By Aaron Hutcherson ● Read more » | | | If you're short on time, marinate these lamb chops for just 10 minutes on the counter while you cook your favorite spring vegetable. By Ann Maloney ● Read more » | | | Riffing on a Puerto Rican recipe, the authors of the new "Natural Flava" want to show the beauty of plant-based Caribbean cooking. By Joe Yonan ● Read more » | | | This skillet of halibut, spring vegetables and a delightful white wine-based sauce delivers the freshness of the season and the ease of a one-pan meal. By Ellie Krieger ● Read more » | | | The flavors of the Black and Caribbean diaspora mingle in salmorejo de jueyes — stewed crab over grits enriched with coconut. By Marta Rivera Diaz ● Read more » | | | |
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