Spring

    Although I do love the cold weather and here it is May 11th and it's snowing outside, I really enjoy the produce that's available in Spring.  I, like most chefs, like to create food and menus based on the current season we're in.  Modern technology has given us the opportunity to purchase items that are not currently in season so why base your current food creations off of these? 
     Here are some of the items that just recently came into season.  Keep in mind, some of these items are harvested in early spring so they wont be around long.

                  Pineapple, Nettles, Mangoes, Artichokes, Sunchokes, Ramps, Fiddlehead Ferns, Sorrel, Bok Choy, Sugar Snap Peas, Strawberries, Spinach, Chives, Arugula, Radishes, Pea Shoots, Hon Tsai Tai, Red Komatsuna, Kohlrabi, etc.

     This is a good opportunity to do what was mentioned in a prior entry.  Go to your local shop and pick one or more of these ingredients and make something.  Sure it can be daunting to grab Hon Tsai Tai and try to cook with it but that's how you have fun with food.  To say that you've cooked with every single ingredient that exists in our world is somewhat impossible.  For instance, there are over seven thousand species of apples.  Can anyone say that they've had their hands on every single species of apple, doubtful.  Even still, this is why cooking is never boring, you can make so many different recipes with one single ingredient. 
     Try something new and let me know what you made.  I bet everyone makes something different, even if you picked the same ingredients.