Most of us in New Zealand are bemoaning the loss of light in the evenings due to daylight saving having ended ... but the one bonus is the extra light in the mornings (it's somehow harder to drag oneself out from under a warm duvet when it’s still dark). My two portly cats are completely confused. The chill in the air has made them want to come inside earlier in the evening for dinner and to curl up, and once daylight saving ended they were arriving at the kitchen door at 4.30pm. Way too early cats!

While downunder cooks will be setting pots of soups and stews to bubble gently on the backburner filling the house with tantalising smells, northern counterparts will be enjoying the warmer air and change of produce. Asparagus! That’s the one word that truly typifies spring. I’ve written lots about asparagus and included some great new recipes. I’m hopping on a plane any minute to Portland, Oregon, so I’ll be able to claim a little share of this gorgeous vegetable while I’m there. If any of you are going to be at IACP, come up and say hi.

I've had great news this month ... www.JulieBiuso.com has been nominated for Best Website/Blog in Le Cordon Bleu World Media Awards, and my latest book Never-ending Summer has been nominated in the Best Soft-cover Cookbook category. How exciting! The winners will be announced at a glitzy occasion in Adelaide 3rd May. I'd just like to say a special thanks to the lovely Robin Ward who designs my website and keeps it all ticking along.

Wherever you are, eat well, drink well and enjoy life. I'll post some warming autumnal recipes soon.

Ciao for now,
Julie

Porcini or cepe (Boletus edulis) is an edible fungus, available fresh in some countries during autumn or the fall, and readily available dried throughout the year.

I was down in Christchurch recently for the Food Show demonstrating recipes using porcini mushrooms. I'd heard that the fresh porcini mushroom season had started early and I might just be in luck ... and so it was! Pete the mushroom man had been out to his secret patch and he brought in some gorgeously fresh porcini for the chefs. Of course I can't tell you any more than to say his name is Pete and the porcini were local! [...]
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ASPARAGUS IS HERE!

Asparagus is readily available and is at its peak - so make the most of it.

Asparagus is one of the true signs of spring - it refuses to be cultivated, at least cheaply, and it won't pop out of the ground until daytime temperatures have warmed up. That's now!

Most of the time it's an expensive vegetable to buy because the yield from the plants is small and the spears are time consuming to harvest. But when the weather is right, and there's a glut, prices drop dramatically. That's when you'll pick up a great bunch of it quite cheaply, especially at farmer's markets. [...]
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