First Look: Springtime Risotto with Asparagus and Peas

It's a beautiful June day here in Saskatoon. We've had a decent amount of rain, which means my yard is green and lush, and while the grass is getting too tall, I kind of love it because the cats can scoot around in it and hide like it's their own jungle playground. This totally cracks me up. I love those little critters. The peonies have formed small heads and in about 2 weeks time they'll become the bombshells of the backyard, and honestly, there's no time like peony time! I also love the moisture because it means Dixon's huge vegetable plot is coming along nicely, and for the last month or so I've been enjoying the best springtime asparagus. If you follow me on Instagram you know how bonkers I get about it. I love it so much that it graces the cover of my new cookbook! Isn't it gorgeous? The inside is just as pretty, and I can't wait to share more with you. So much hard work and love and eating went into this collection of recipes. Plus the dishes. So many dishes. One day I will have a dishwasher! 

Pulse Pledge: Chickpea and Lentil Curry with Kale and Sweet Potatoes

Eleven days into the new year, and how is everyone doing?  Apart from the clothes fitting noticeably tighter than perhaps a month ago, things are swell here.  I also just got back from Toronto, where I was fortunate to meet up with old friends and pretty much eat all the things.  If you were following me on Instagram, you probably saw the divine burger from Burger's Priest, or the crispy chicken bun from Momofuku, or my first ever Krispy Kreme doughnut.  I totally wasn't messing around.  Then there was the fantastic private lunch with Chef Michael Smith and a handful of other Canadian food bloggers at the beautiful Fairmont Royal York.  We enjoyed a bit of a tapas menu featuring pulses - lentils, chickpeas, dry peas and beans - and one day I hope to recreate a chickpea beignet like the one I tasted there.  So good.  Then there was Pulse Feast, a party to kick off International Year of Pulses.  I mingled with pulse growers from the prairies, other food media and chefs.  It was a grand time, full of inspiring conversation and fantastic food, featuring pulses of course.  I swear there was a platter of lentil fritters following me around all night.  Sweets!  I can't escape them!