Starters Archives - Page 2 of 12

Asparagus Tempura with Ginger Mayo and Matcha Salt

June 2, 2025 No Comments

We’re in peak asparagus season here in Ontario, and I’m trying my best to get my fill. Unfortunately, I am a bottomless pit when it comes to this green, so it’s an inevitability – I will never have enough. But I’m still down to try, and today’s Asparagus Tempura with Ginger Mayo and Matcha Salt is vital to that effort. I know what you’re thinking: If you love a vegetable so much, why deep fry it? Well, there is a method to my madness, which I will get to. But I promise you won’t lose the asparagus in this recipe. Asparagus is such a short and special season; it would be a shame not to showcase its star in all its glory.

Poultry, Pub Grub, Snacks, Starters

Salt and Vinegar Chicken Karaage with Umeboshi Mayo

May 12, 2025 No Comments

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Chip varieties constantly inspire me. Yes, I know how funny that sentence sounds. I guess chips have this pull on me because they are the flavours I most closely associate with my childhood. I particularly tie chips to summer vacation. We ate pretty healthy most of the time when I was growing up, but when we headed to the cottage, all bets were off: Potato chips, marshmallows, hot dogs, the whole nine yards. It’s hard not to have blissful nostalgia for that time. Childhood summer vacations were a cut above. No obligations, just endless acres of free time. It just doesn’t happen in adult life. So, for me, I associate flavours like sour cream and onion, and salt and vinegar with that very unique brand of freedom. And that’s the vibe of this Salt and Vinegar Chicken Karaage with Umeboshi Mayo.

Soups & Stews, Starters, Vegetarian

Silky Acorn Squash Soup with Halloumi Croutons

November 28, 2024 No Comments

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Holiday meals are so epic that individual dishes tend to get lost. It’s an endless parade of decadence. No matter how special they may be, it will always be hard for soups, sprouts, and sides to steal the show. But despite all this indulgent noise, we still have to put effort into each dish. That’s because a low note in a sea of high notes is bound to be the most memorable. Sad but true. So while it may be tempting to phone it in on the soup course (if you’re even bothering with a soup course) I’m here to tell you it’s not worth it. But I get it, when you’re elbow-deep in a turkey, soup may seem like a low priority. The solution? This Silky Acorn Squash Soup! It’s tasty, festive, and nearly effortless to put together.

Pork, Salads, Sides, Starters

Dill Caesar Wedge Salad with Potato Chip Croutons

September 21, 2024 No Comments

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Once upon a time, the wedge salad was considered a relic—a cringeworthy nod to the much-maligned mid-century American dining scene. But as with most things old and outdated, the wedge salad found new life during the vintage-loving aughts. It was resurrected alongside a slew of hip steak houses, dusted off for Mad-Men-themed parties, and now it has finally settled down as a menu mainstay. And for good reason, a wedge of iceberg is truly a blank slate. Chefs and cooks can’t seem to resist the endless possibility of this admittedly angular base. And I am no exception. Today’s Dill Caesar Wedge Salad is my own little riff. It’s part caesar, part wedge, and part small child let loose on a salad bar. And you know what? That is precisely the kind of energy I want to see in the world. So let’s make this potato chip spackled beast!