Last week in Toronto temperatures soared. I sat on patios, drank beer, and ate ceviche while plotting future BBQs and outdoor seafood boils. I Googled sangria recipes, whipped up an Aperol Spritz or two, and nearly bought a watermelon floaty. But just as quickly as the summer-like weather arrived it disappeared. Less than a week after we hit 30° C the city saw flurries. To say this turn of events is depressing would be an understatement. And yes, ask any Canadian and they will tell you April is a cruel, flip-flopping mistress. But even though I knew this was coming it doesn’t make it any less painful. So I’m drowning my sorrows with decidedly spring-forward food like this Asparagus Celeriac Risotto with Pickled Shallots. It may not be spring out there but it sure as sugar is in my kitchen.
Corn is one of those foods I feel very ho-hum about most of the time. I, of course, always have a bag of frozen corn in my freezer to add to chili or rice or whatnot. But it’s rarely the main event. But when corn season hits, it’s a whole different vibe. I want corn with every meal. Too much corn? No such thing! In season, fresh off the cob corn is, like, a different species. It’s sweet, it’s juicy, it’s crunchy. And when it teams up with butter it’s game over for you. When corn is at its peak it’s tempting to just eat cob after cob with a little butter and salt for the entirety of the season. But corn is capable of so much more than that. Take today’s Sweet Corn Risotto with Blistered Shishito Peppers for instance.
Today’s Smoked Salmon Risotto with Crème Fraîche is what I affectionately refer to as “brunch meets risotto”. Although, I can’t help but see problems with that moniker. For one, smoke salmon is too good to only be allocated to morning meals. And, although this dish was inspired by bagel and lox it contains no cream cheese and is devoid of everything bagel spice. So can I, in good conscience, call this brunch? Especially since I ate this for dinner? Does anyone care? I’m guessing not, but now you know these are the sorts of things that rattle around in my brain all day. I’m a “unique” individual, let’s leave it at that.
Looking to make something a little different this Easter? I’ve got a dish for you. These Vindaloo Braised Lamb Shanks feature lamb coated in a sauce inspired by the Goan classic slowed cooked for 3 hours until the meat is fall-apart tender. The lamb is served on a bed of creamy risotto studded with sweet peas and toasted cumin seeds and finished with a hefty dollop of Greek yogurt. Finally, the dish is garnished with julienned cucumber, mint, micro-greens, and thinly sliced red chiles. This meal is a nod to the traditional leg of lamb dinner and two Indian classics – vindaloo and raita. You can scale this meal up or down as your guest list demands and most of the actual cooking is blissfully hands-off. Sound good? Good. Let’s get into it.
