Asparagus, when Company’s Coming

By Sandy Hu

I love vegetables but I’m not big on preparing them. Usually I steam them and dress with good-quality butter, salt and pepper, and I’m done. Or I blanch them, then sauté quickly. Or I toss them in olive oil and roast. I’m happy with such simple treatments because the natural vegetable flavors shine through and besides, it’s almost no work.

But when company is coming, I feel the need to do a little more. Not much, but a little something extra to make the vegetables seem company-worthy. In the spring, when asparagus is in season, I turn to Baked Asparagus with Goat Cheese and Breadcrumbs. It’s hardly more effort than simple roasting, but the topping looks just a bit fancier. Also, I happen to have a colorful, rectangular asparagus-patterned platter that’s the perfect size and shape for this recipe.

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Scotch Eggs – True Comfort Food

By Lori Powell

Since I moved this past weekend I am looking for some true comfort food. A friend once made me Scotch eggs on a dreadful rainy day – the kind where the cold goes straight through your bones. Scotch eggs were the perfect remedy. They were crispy on the outside with delicious, tender sausage cradling the hard-boiled egg. Truly a perfect protein package.

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Too Much Bread!

By Sandy Hu

I always overbuy baguettes for a party. Bread is cheap and I’d rather have too much than not enough.

But then I’m stuck with the leftovers. Any sane person would toss the remainder but I always bag the leftovers, intending to do something with them. I hate waste.

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