Spring

Spring cooking is about the shift away from the heavy braises and root vegetables of winter and toward the first fresh ingredients of the year.

Asparagus arrives and it belongs in a stovetop risotto or roasted in foil until just tendercrisp. Strawberries show up at the farmers market and go straight into shortcake or a small batch rhubarb jam while the window is open. Fresh mint is growing again, which means the juleps and mojitos are back. This is also the season for rack of lamb, Easter entertaining, and the kind of light grilled proteins that remind you why you missed cooking outside.