If the food that comes out of Joyful Kitchen, a boutique cooking school in Wellesley, tastes as good as the kitchen looks, then it must be a magical place. Chef and owner Amy Lipton runs classes out of her gorgeous and welcoming turquoise and orange home kitchen designed by Swellesley advertiser Abeles & Associates architects with interior design by local Wellesley business owner Katie Rosenfeld. The kitchen will also welcome hordes of visitors during its stint as part of the Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club Kitchen and Home Tour on May 7.

Classes are kept small (about 8-10 students) and are all about hands-on-learning and feasting. Her formal training is grounded in classic French cuisine, and she also lived and trained in Japan for four years.

Amy recently returned from a week-long culinary excursion in Havana and has brought back plenty of ideas and recipes to try out in her classes. And for those who miss their weekly fix of Downton Abbey, not to worry loves, she offers a class that will have you cooking like Mrs Patmore in a trice.

Click here for info on the latest classes. In the meantime, try out the following recipe for Balsamic and Pistachio Encrusted Rack of Lamb.

Balsamic & Pistachio encrusted Rack of Lamb

Ingredients: Serves 4-6

2 Racks French-cut Lamb, about 8 bones per rack

½ cup crushed pistachios

¼ cup aged balsamic vinegar

1tbsp olive oil

2tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1tsp pepper

1 ½ tbsp. salt

Instant read thermometer

Method:

Mix together the vinegar, olive oil and rosemary in a large plastic bag. Add the racks of lamb and allow them to marinate one hour (or in the refrigerator overnight).

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Remove racks from bag, pat dry and rub down with salt and pepper. Then roll them in the crushed nuts. If they are having a hard time sticking, put some more marinate on them to give the nuts something to cling to.

Place racks in roasting pan with ribs curving down; cover tips of bones in foil to prevent charring.

Roast for 20-30 minutes or until lamb has an internal temperature of 120 degrees. Transfer to a cutting board, tent with foil and let rest for 10 minutes, internal temp will rise to 125 for medium-rare.

Carve into chops and serve immediately with pan juices.