Farmers Market: What to do with Asparagus

There's an abundance of fresh, crisp asparagus in the market now, since it's in season.

A quick and easy preparation is as follows:

1. Simply shave the bottom of the stalks. 
2. Fill a half cup cold water or just touching the bottom of pan and let the asparagus blanch for 7 minutes with healthy sprinkle of salt. 
3. Serve at room temp with French vinaigrette. 
4. Using a small bottle, add 3 tbsps of Dijon mustard, 2 diced shallots, 2 cloves crushed minced garlic, 1/8 cup champagne vinegar, salt, fresh crushed pepper and 1/4 cup of good olive oil. 
5. Close lid tight. Shake well. 

For a light dinner, I serve with lamb meat balls with yogurt, cumin sauce, and a baguette.

When my friend James Oseland from Saveur Magazine comes into my studio for lunch, he does something even easier, just squeezing half a lemon and crushed pepper with olive oil over the cooked asparagus.

Paprika Adds Spice to Your Life: Hungarian Oxtail Stew

Colorful, delicious, flavorful spices that add zests to your life! 

Paprika, is one that has a wonderful flavor to create a marinade for a nice piece of meat, fish or in dressings. 

Recently my Hungarian sweetheart and I had 16 of my loved ones over and cooked up a huge pot of his native oxtail stew with celeric root, turnip, carrots, onion, celery and few chunks of savoy cabbage.

Simple brown the oxtail and add in the vegetable with a few tablespoons of red colorful Hungarian paprika and one spoon of spicy hot paprika.

Let it cook for two hour and half in simmer while you are surfing in Facebook or cleaning those picture files that have been slowing your computer.

This makes a delicious meal accompanied with some egg noodles. With this cold winter weather, open an inexpensive full bodied Burgundy or Rioja.

Enjoy and cozy up with your favorite friends.