Chipotle Hot Wings with Cucumber-Avocado Dip

Chipotle Hot Wings with Cucumber-Avocado Dip

Chicken wings are the perfect party food. Okay, that may be a touch too enthusiastic; it’s hard to imagine anyone nibbling daintily on one at a funeral. But chicken wings are the perfect party food for a particular type of party. I’m not going to say they’re perfect for a Super Bowl party or something equally jocky because, aside from being painfully obvious, it’s far too limiting. I think wings are capable of so much more than that. Having said that, I did make today’s Chipotle Hot Wings as a companion to a Toronto Raptor’s playoff game. But I have on numerous occasions made wings for non-sporting events and served them to sports-adverse humans with great success. Everyone loves wings, so why relegate them exclusively to man caves and sports bars. Free the wing!

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Scallion Yogurt Rigatoni with Citrus Cured Egg Yolks

Scallion Yogurt Rigatoni with Citrus Cured Egg Yolks

Not all my ideas start out as good ones. Take this Scallion Yogurt Rigatoni for instance. Looks good, doesn’t it? Kind of classy even. I mean, it certainly wouldn’t be out of place in a date night scenario. Do you want to know how it started life? You probably don’t but I’m going to tell you anyway. This semi-elegant, all-over delicious pasta dish was originally a sorry substitute for sour cream and onion potato chips. I had a craving but I couldn’t justify caving. So, I did the next best thing, I channeled that craving into something equally cravable but a little more dinner appropriate: pasta.

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Sweet Pea Tuna Lasagna

Sweet Pea Tuna Lasagna

There are many things in the world I choose to be snobby about but lasagna is not one. I may be picky about my scotch, my cheese plates, and my saltwater fishes. But lasagna? Naw! High brow, low brow, traditional or trendy – it doesn’t matter to me. I’ve never had a lasagna I deemed “inedible”. Anything with that much cheese and pasta is hard to hate. Now, of course, I know enough to know a truly outstanding lasagna when I’m fortunate enough to eat one. But do I care if it is a classic bolognese, béchamel affair or some outlandish combination? Nope! So, with my opinions on lasagna firmly established, allow me to introduce you to my Sweet Pea Tuna Lasagna. A spring-friendly lasagna seemingly filled with every “blasphemous” ingredient I could think of. Look away, lasagna purists. Look away!

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Thai Basil Chicken Spring Rolls with Mango Sweet Chili Sauce

Thai Basil Chicken Spring Rolls with Mango Sweet Chili Sauce

Spring rolls are one of those delights of life that most of us encounter at a very early age. They are included on almost every Chinese food menu and combo. In fact, around these parts, I’d say the spring roll is far more ubiquitous than the egg roll. Perhaps it is because the spring roll, or some variation of it, has a place in countless Asian cuisines most of which are well represented in Toronto. But in spite of their ubiquity, they are left relatively untouched. The fillings remain largely cabbage and ground pork affairs. I find this strange because the spring roll is a near perfect, crispy vessel for just about anything. So, with this in mind, I bring you these Thai Basil Chicken Spring Rolls with Mango Sweet Chili Sauce. While the concept isn’t exactly groundbreaking, the spring rolls themselves are delicious.

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