Hainanese Chicken Risotto with Garlic Chips

We’re in the dregs of February now and slowly but surely the light is returning. But I have to say, spring still feels pretty far away. It certainly felt far away at 6:30 this morning as Sunny and I were shoveling our way out of our home. So yeah, you could say February still has its bleak hold on me and that means comfort food, the more carb-heavy, the better. And if I can eat two comfort foods simultaneously, so much the better, or at least that’s what I thought when I dreamed up this Hainanese Chicken Risotto.
Butter Chicken Meatballs with Cucumber Raita

There are many meatballs on this blog. Some lamb, some pork and some with no meat at all. Strangely, the blog is devoid of the more traditional beef variety. I’m not sure why that is but I do intend to address the oversight at some point. But yes, Rhubarb & Cod is drowning in meatballs and that may seem like an odd fixation for a blog to have. But I think it makes a strange kind of sense. The meatball, in its most basic form, is devoid of personality. The starting protein of any kind of meatball is relatively bland. And onto that bland, unmolded clay, you can impart just about any flavor your restless, hungry brain can conjure. Case in point – these Butter Chicken Meatballs.
Yakitori Rice Paper Wraps with Roast Sweet Potato

I know everyone is moving into holiday-mode and I get that the focus has shifted to the mashed potatoes of it all. But here I am, hanging out with my rice paper wraps trying to convince you you need them. It seems I have a nasty habit of breaking out the salad rolls when people are on the prowl for stuffing. But I think it stems from a holiday-related fear that I’m certain almost everyone shares: The fear of losing self-control around cheese plates, cookies and nog. Well, it’s not so much a “fear” as recognizing the inevitable.
Fig Glazed Roast Duck with Fresh Rosemary

And just like that, it’s Thanksgiving weekend… or at least it is here in good ol’ Canada. Yes, we the north are already neck-deep in turkey season, which means it’s time for my annual rant about turkey. You guys know the drill, I accuse the turkey of being a dry and flavorless bird unworthy of its lofty title as THE holiday banquet bird. But not this year. No, I haven’t had a change of heart but why beat a dead horse or turkey for that matter? You all know where I stand and if you don’t give this a read. No, this year I’m going to focus on the positive. And you can’t get much more positive than this Fig Glazed Roast Duck with Fresh Rosemary.