STIR Cookbook by Barbara Lynch

I have been cooking out of Barbara Lynch's STIR cookbook for the past couple of years.  Barbara is a chef from Boston that owns several restaurants and seems like a bit of a food genius. The recipes in her STIR cookbook are mostly Italian or Italian-inspired and I usually turn to it on cold nights in SF when I want a hearty ragu or soup. I would be lying if I said these recipes are all simple and quick, but they are definitely delicious and worth the time spent to make them!  I went to Barbara's cookbook signing in Boston and when I met her (she is lovely by the way) I asked her what her favorite recipe in the book is and she said the Butcher Shop Bolognese.  So that was the first recipe I tried and she was right, it is out of this world!  The bolognese is great served over pasta with some crusty bread and a simple salad.  Some other recipes I have tried from this book are the Ham and Cheese Puff-Pastry Bites with Honey Mustard, Bibb lettuce with Creamy Parmesean Dressing and Cheese Crisps, Beet and Frisee Salad with Blue Cheese, Spicy Tomato Soup w/ Crispy Grilled Cheese, Fresh Pasta Dough, Spicy Lobster Bolognese, Rigatoni with Spicy Sausage and Cannellini Beans and Pappardelle with Tangy Veal Ragu.