Tomato season has arrived here in Ontario and I couldn’t be happier. To say I’m a tomato fan would be an understatement. Since day one, I’ve been a tomato sandwich (with plenty of mayo, please and thank you) fan. Bruschetta is my love language and the Caprese is my go-to starter at any Italian restaurant. I adore tomatoes especially peak tomatoes. So, when tomato season rolls around, I want to add tomatoes to everything but I want to do almost nothing to them. It’s a bit of a conundrum really. But dishes like this Fresh Heirloom Tomato Pizza are the perfect workaround. This bad boy makes a meal out of tomatoes, without masking any of their considerable attributes.
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.
This is becoming a tradition. Every year I seem inclined to mess with the perfection that is the East Coast lobster roll. What would possess me to do such a thing? Well, for one thing, I’ve been eating the classic version my whole life and have the attention span of a gnat, so I have to keep things interesting. And I figure if anyone has permission futz around with a lobster roll, it’s an East Coaster such as myself. But to tell the truth, as far as I’m concerned anyone can play with the concept – I don’t believe in culinary stagnation or dish ownership. Last year, I turned the beloved rolls into fresh rolls. The year before that I deconstructed the poor thing and created a salad. And this year I’m serving up these Lobster Roll Bao with Tamarind Mayo.
What you’re looking at looks pretty elegant, doesn’t it? Some might even call it ostentatious in this current climate. But what you’re actually looking at is a handful of pantry staples, the end of a yogurt container and a few egg yolks. This Tuna Tahchin with Green Lentils and Preserved Lemon is my pantry’s take on the classic Iranian dish – Tahchin. Tahchin is a sort of rice cake bound together by yogurt and eggs and seasoned with saffron. It can stay as simple as that and still be called a tahchin. But most versions include a layer of protein, most often chicken, in the center. I made it with tuna, lentils and preserved lemon because that’s what I have in my house right now.
