I love bowls. Grain bowls, veggie bowls, noodle bowls – if it comes in a bowl I want to hear about it. To me, they are the perfect food. They can be virtuous or overly indulgent as need be. They can be complex or blissfully simple. And they can be customized to suit any dietary restriction or overly fussy eater. In short, bowl food is the best, and I can’t let a week go by without eating one. Today’s Fried Feta Bowls are my current favorite. They feature a bed of rice piled high with romaine, tomatoes, olives, cucumber, and pickled banana peppers drizzled with a lemon oregano vinaigrette. But the true star of the show is the sesame-coated slabs of fried feta topped with honey for that ultimate salty/sweet contrast. This bowl is truly the stuff of dreams. 

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.