Celebrate Asparagus Season with Soup

By Jennifer Knapp
A new video for Video Friday

I have been watching and waiting since the end of February for the first California asparagus to show up at market. Sure, you can find asparagus that's been grown in Mexico any time of the year.

However, I am a San Francisco Bay Area transplant from New England who no longer observes the passing of the years based on fall foliage, the first snowstorm, spring daffodils and humid summer beach days. Instead, I simply enjoy the subtle changes in weather and temperature that allow a year-round growing climate, and I mark the seasons in my kitchen as new fruits and vegetables arrive at the market.

Not only is it better for the environment when you can buy produce that has been grown locally and in season, the flavor can't compare with that which has been shipped thousands of miles.

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Dubliner Breakfast Toast

By Andrew Hunter
For The Family Table, a blog for busy families

One of my favorite food memories as a kid was making cheese toast with my brother. We would toast regular white bread, layer on thick slices of yellow cheese, then add “too much pepper and garlic salt, ” which was just enough by our standards, and then broil them in the oven until mouth-burning hot. I’m sure the cheese dripped down onto the floor of the oven making a mess for mom to worry about.

But alas, our tastes have grown up and we now have our own ovens to clean. So I have refined this childhood favorite in the spirit of St. Patrick. Instead of white sandwich bread, I slice artisan sourdough, and instead of sliced yellow Cheddar I grate Dubliner cheese and sprinkle with minced fresh garlic. The sharp, nutty flavor of the Dubliner takes this dish to a whole new level. Dubliner Breakfast toast is quickly becoming one of Ben and Nick’s childhood favorites too!

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St. Patty’s Shamrock Shortbread Cookies

By Lori Powell
For One or Two Bites, a blog for singles and couples

St. Patty’s Day makes me think of all things Irish, such as corned beef and cabbage, champ and brown bread. But let’s not forget some sweet treats that are so simple and simply delicious.

A friend of mine, Carole E., who lives in the Hudson Valley, made batches of these cookies in the form of small heart shapes for Valentine’s Day. I was lucky enough to be able to get a couple sent my way…they are the BEST shortbread cookies I have ever tasted!

That says a lot, as I have had my fair share of shortbread cookies over the years. These have the best short-like texture with the perfect balance of sweet with a touch of salt. I only wished that I had more of them so I asked Carole for her recipe and, low and behold, she was gracious enough to pass it along to me and now to you…of course with appropriate credit to Carole.

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How to Make Pie Dough

By Ben Mims
For Cooking Newbie, a blog for beginner cooks

One of the things I get asked about most is pie dough. People seem to be mystified by it. And I’ll quit pretending to not know why: it seems intimidating, fickle, and too much work.

But there’s nothing in cooking that has such a great pay off as properly made and cooked pie dough. And with all the new spring fruits and produce that will be popping up in grocery stores soon, like those ruby-hued stalks of rhubarb, you’ll have a great excuse to make pastry and make pies. The cooking, we’ll get to another time…today is how to make it.

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How to Cut a Mango

By Sandy Hu
A new video for Video Friday

During the summer months, driving home after a weekend in Kona visiting relatives, we would pass roadside stands selling mangos. Mom would always make dad stop – she adored mangos – and soon our car would be filled with their heady, tropical fragrance.

In those days, very few Americans had tasted mangos outside of those of us living in tropical climates. But today, not only are they readily available in mainstream supermarkets, you’ll find them at smoothie shops and on restaurant menus, from casual to upscale.

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