Asparagus Celeriac Risotto

Asparagus Celeriac Risotto with Pickled Shallots
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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.

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Silky Spinach Spaghetti with Burrata

Silky Spinach Spaghetti with Burrata
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Today’s recipe is a vision in green. This Silky Spinach Spaghetti features al dente strands of golden spaghetti coated in a rich emerald green spinach sauce topped with a creamy ball of burrata and finished with a sprinkling of arugula, crushed red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Talk about eating your greens, this vibrant platter of pasta contains nearly a pound of baby spinach. But don’t let the veggie content fool you. This dish tastes every bit as decadent as your favorite plate of carbonara. So let’s make it.

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Confit Tomato Soup

Confit Tomato Soup
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It’s hard to get excited about a tomato in the dead of winter. Actual tomato season is still months away and most of what you find in grocery stores right now are light in flavor and mealy in texture. Not exactly the stuff of tomato dreams. But while it may not be the ideal time for something like my heirloom tomato pizza, it is prime time for this Confit Tomato Soup. When you lazily cook anything in a vat of olive oil it’s going to be good. The confit process concentrates the flavor of the tomatoes and brings out their sweetness while reducing their acidity. In other words, the confit method transforms lackluster winter tomatoes into flavor powerhouses.

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Teriyaki Mushroom Melt with Red Cabbage

Teriyaki Mushroom Melt with Red Cabbage
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I have an affinity for messy sandwiches. If I’m not perplexed by how exactly I’m supposed to eat them, I’m not interested. Sure, I can get down with a polite finger sandwich and I’ll never turn down a pressed picnic situation like a muffuletta. But I love a juicy burger, a slippery BLT, and a towering hoagie. I want a “napkin-mandatory” sort of sandwich and today’s Teriyaki Mushroom Melt fits the bill perfectly. The word “saucy” is the aptest description for this sandwich. So let’s talk about it!

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