The Asparagus Lunch
Phantom Thread, Whistle Dogs, and the Hugo Spritz
Every year, when fresh asparagus first hits the veggie aisle, I make the same little meal to welcome the season: blanched asparagus with vinaigrette (usually this one) and a soft-boiled egg.
It’s a dish my mom first made for me; slender, sweet asparagus, the richness of a golden yolk, and tangy, spicy French vinaigrette. Easy, simple and quick. I find it hard to resist the bright, green bushels of asparagus stalks that greet me at every corner market through early summer; I constantly crave the asparagus/egg/vin combo.
Add olives, capers, tuna, tomatoes, potatoes and radishes for a sorta-niçoise. Serve it with a piece of crusty bread and cheese, or other antipasti (sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, prosciutto, salami, funghi sott’olio…etc) for an Italian picnic. Asparagus is the canvas!
The Asparagus Lunch
Ingredients:
1 bunch asparagus, wood ends removed
To serve:
vinaigrette
1-2 soft boiled eggs
cheese, bread, meat, olives - any other treats you desire
Method:
Prepare an ice bath: fill a large bowl with ice and cold water. Set aside, or keep in the sink.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add asparagus and cook until bright green and crisp-tender, around 4 minutes.
Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove asparagus from the pot and place into the ice bath.
Pat the asparagus dry and place on a plate. Peel eggs and plate with asparagus. Dress with vinaigrette.
Enjoy!
Popcorn
Two asparagus seasons ago, I read Eat, Pray, Love. In one passage, Elizabeth Gilbert describes a similar lunch to mine:
“I peeled the [soft boiled] eggs and arranged them on a plate beside the seven stalks of the asparagus (which were so slim and snappy they didn't need to be cooked at all). I put some olives on the plate, too, and the four knobs of goat cheese I'd picked up yesterday from the formaggeria down the street, and two slices of pink, oily salmon. For dessert—a lovely peach, which the woman at the market had given to me for free and which was still warm from the Roman sunlight. For the longest time I couldn't even touch this food because it was such a masterpiece of lunch, a true expression of the art of making something out of nothing.”
Try the recipe à la Ms. Gilbert!
And of course, this scene with the Queen herself, from the movie version:
If the topic is asparagus, I am legally obligated to (briefly) discuss Phantom Thread (2017). The best food movie of the past decade, period. When fashion designer Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) meets waitress Alma Elson (Vicky Krieps), love, lust and obsession quickly entwine the two. A specific and exacting man, Woodcock knows exactly what he wants, especially when it comes to cuisine. The couple’s love language is food; he is her ‘hungry boy.’ When Woodcock’s demands of Elson aren’t perfectly actualized, and his dietary preferences aren’t followed, tension rises. This is my favourite scene from the movie:
Sexy Little Snack
I am a die hard A&W fan. I feel a part of the Burger Family, raised on rootbeer floats, alongside Baby and Teen. My order? Buddy burger with cheese, chicken buddy, onion rings and a diet rootbeer.
However, one menu item I was not familiar with, a hidden gem, culinary cult classic, was the Whistle Dog. Taken off the menu in 2017, the dog made a re-appearance on the menu in 2022, and is now BACK - for a limited time only - all across Canada.
What, exactly, IS a Whistle Dog? A pork wiener sliced down the centre and grilled on a flat top is the star of the dish. Served with bacon, relish and cheese, the dog is then nestled into a toasted bun. After sampling one, I must say, I’ve been converted.
If you’re interested in A&W, hot dogs, and Canadian food history, the documentary had me transfixed:
Bonus: Sexy Little Sipper
I feel obliged to inform my readers of my favourite summer drink. My eternal drink of the summer: the Hugo Spritz. I first sampled one in Treviso, Veneto, in Northern Italy. The region is home to prosecco, making spritzes (cocktails containing a liqueur, sparkling wine and soda water) a natural native cocktail. The Aperol Spritz reigns supreme in Veneto (arguably the drink’s place of origin), but I love the subtlety and freshness of a Hugo Spritz. Using St. Germaine, or elderflower syrup, the Hugo Spritz is floral, citrusy, and perfect for your next aperitivo.
Hugo Spritz
Makes 1 Cocktail
Ingredients:
1 oz St. Germaine (or elderflower syrup - I use the Ikea one!)
4-5 oz Prosecco
soda water
mint sprig
lemon wheel
ice
Method:
Pour St. Germaine into a wine glass. Add a few mint leaves and muddle the two ingredients together.
Add ice to glass, and pour Prosecco over ice. Top with soda water.
Garnish with a lemon wheel and the rest of the mint sprig.
Enjoy!
Ciao! XOXO!