Recently I was browsing through my first book, "The Cuisine of California," and came across a recipe that I fondly remember.

I grew up in Los Angeles, a block away from Trader Vic's. This restaurant was like no other -- dark and daring with tropical drink concoctions adorned with umbrellas being served along with plates of barbecued spare ribs and crab rangoon to munch on -- and this lamb dish was oh-so memorable. Trader Vic's is gone, but you can still enjoy this signature dish.

This rack of lamb with peanut sauce is as current today as when it was served at Trader Vic's decades ago. The marinade has a zesty mix of citrus, curry powder, wine, honey and herbs. The accompanying peanut sauce, tinged with hot pepper oil and cilantro, gives the dish a complex, tangy taste that brings all the flavors together.

Today lamb is available year-round, with New Zealand and Australia supplying our markets for much of the year. Costco has good-quality New Zealand racks of lamb at a reasonable rate. Lamb must be sold before it is a year old, or it cannot be called lamb. Remember that most American sheep are grain-fed rather than free-range fed, so that the flavor will be milder than New Zealand or Australian lamb.

Make sure to have the butcher "French" the bones as in the photo. "Frenching" is a technique in which meat is cut away from the top of a rib to expose part of the bone. This is an eye-catching, beautiful presentation. Serve this with grilled vegetables, vegetable couscous, or sauteed cherry tomatoes add a pop of color. To drink? Accompany this with a full-bodied zinfandel, Rhone-style red or a merlot to stand up to the big flavors in this dish.

Marinated Roast Rack of Lamb with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Serves 4

2 medium racks of lamb (2 1/2 pounds each), chine bone removed

For the marinade:

1 medium clove garlic, minced

1 medium shallot, chopped

1/4 cup dry red wine

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf

Zest of 1 medium lemon

Juice of I medium lemon

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 teaspoon coarsely cracked pepper

1 bay leaf

For the peanut sauce:

1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon hot pepper oil or1 teaspoon srichacca sauce, or to taste

1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Prepare marinade by combining all ingredients in medium bowl, and whisk to combine.

2. Put racks of lamb in shallow nonaluminum dish, and pour the marinade over the lamb. Refrigerate 4 to 8 hours; turn meat several times to evenly distribute marinade.

3. Combine all the peanut sauce ingredients in small bowl. Whisk together until blended. Set aside.

4. Preheat oven to 400 F. Remove racks from marinade, and place lamb racks in roasting pan. Cover exposed bones with foil to avoid burning them. Roast the meat for about 30 minutes or until pink. Roasting time depends on thickness of meat. If you are using a meat thermometer, insert the thermometer into the center of the meat. Medium rare is 125 F, and medium is 130 F.

5. Preheat broiler if necessary. Place lamb under broiler for 3 minutes to brown the top of the rack. Let lamb rest for 10 minutes to distribute the juices. Serve 1/2 rack per person. (You can also carve the rack and serve the lamb chops overlapping one another.) Whisk peanut sauce, and pass it separately.

Advance preparation: This dish may be prepared up to 8 hours ahead through Step 3 and kept in refrigerator.

(Diane Rossen Worthington is an authority on new American cooking. She is the author of 18 cookbooks, including "Seriously Simple Parties," and a James Beard Award-winning radio show host. You can contact her at www.seriouslysimple.com.)