I will eat anything Andy Baraghani makes, no questions

Last week, my friend Andy Baraghani released his first cookbook. And although this business affords me many occasions to see friends write brilliant, beautiful cookbooks, I find Baraghani’s extra special because of how long we’ve known each other and how far he’s come.

The Bay Area native has a distinctly Californian sensibility married with — thanks to his Persian heritage — an understanding of how to use herbs and bright flavors to make all his cooking that much more enticing. He’s also — as I wrote about and have told people many times before — one of the few people whose cooking I trust to be flawless every time and will gladly eat without question.

This week, we excerpted two recipes from his book, “The Cook You Want to Be,� and they perfectly display his knack for bold, simple, sexy flavors that even a novice can re-create with just as much appeal. A centerpiece lamb shoulder is flavored with orange peels, chiles, fennel seeds and rosemary and braised in white wine until sticky and burnished — a pistachio-and-raisin-studded yogurt sauce lifts the whole affair with a cooling tang. And a chilled, crunchy fennel salad gets dressed with crushed olives, pistachios and chiles that have first been marinated in olive oil with lemon zest.

Baraghani also contributed several recipes to a Thanksgiving package for us last year that I still keep in rotation, holiday or not. His recipe for leafy greens with a zippy preserved-lemon dressing is now my standard salad when entertaining. His mashed potatoes enriched with labneh are rich but not overwhelmingly so — the relative lightness and sourness of the labneh is now my dairy of choice for mashed spuds.

And his most popular dish for us — turmeric-laced roasted squash combined with dates and drizzled with chile-spiked, honey-glazed hazelnuts — is still just as wonderful in the spring, swapping carrots for the squash. Whichever recipes of his you make, it’s guaranteed that they’ll not only make you the cook you want to be, but also will possess all the flavors you’ll ever want to eat.

Crushed Orange and Rosemary-Braised Lamb With Crunchy Pistachio Yogurt

Any large cut of meat can seem intimidating to prepare, but most of the work happens in the oven. The result is lamb so tender, it’s almost jelly-soft. You can either go bold and serve it on the bone or let it cool and tear it into shreddy shards, then toss those back into the braising liquid to warm.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 5 hours 30 minutes.

(Graydon Herriott)

Fennel Salad With Spicy Green Olives and Crushed Pistachios

The important step in this salad is eating it as soon as you dress the fennel. You want that full crunch experience. The crushed green olives should be big and fleshy, like a chunky relish to contrast the icy bite of the fennel. All that acidity in the salad begs to be paired with juicy pork chops or a steak.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 30 minutes.

(Graydon Herriott)

Leafy Greens With Preserved Lemon and Crushed Pistachio

The tart preserved lemon in the dressing helps cut the pepperiness and bitterness of the mature greens and also the richness of the other dishes on the table. Use the best mature greens you can find, and know that kale, escarole and radicchio also pair well with this dressing.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 15 minutes.

(Jennifer Chong / For The Times)

Labneh Creamed Potatoes With Sizzled Garlic

Tangy labneh adds a sour freshness to traditional mashed potatoes, here served with a pool of fragrant garlic butter. The garlic slices used to infuse the butter crisp up when cooled and add a textural crunch against the silky smooth potatoes.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 45 minutes.

(Jennifer Chong / For The Times)

Turmeric-Roasted Squash With Caramelized Dates and Spicy Nuts

Dense chunks of squash are roasted in spicy turmeric oil alongside sweet, chewy dates and bright slices of lemon. The whole affair is drizzled with toasted hazelnuts, bathed in honey and chile flakes, just before serving to add lots of vibrant and bold flavors to the hearty squash. Use large carrots or wedges of sweet potato in their place, if you’d like.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 1 hour 10 minutes.

(Jennifer Chong / For The Times)