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Chicken katsu is a Japanese-style panko-coated piece of fried chicken that’s become a popular dish around the world. It’s easy to understand why — it’s crispy on the outside, juicy in the middle and served with a flavourful sauce (or two).

When it comes to seafood in B.C. we are spoiled. Halibut, salmon, albacore tuna, ling cod, crab, sablefish, oysters, clams and mussels are just some of the tasty choices we have and there’s much to celebrate about that.

Last week, I was looking at family photos and came across ones from a trip my wife, son and I had taken to New York. We had a marvellous time and those photos made me reminisce about the food we enjoyed there.

B.C. rhubarb is in season and today I’ve used it in two quite diverse ways. My first recipe sees rhubarb added to a baked good that might be nice to serve for Sunday brunch: rhubarb coconut muffins.

It’s handy to have recipes that can serve two purposes. Today’s spinach and three-cheese phyllo strudel is an example.

Asparagus is in season, and its fine flavour and colour always inspire me to prepare it in all sorts of ways. If you’ve followed this column over the years, you’ll know that soup is one of the things I like to make with asparagus.

I was in the grocery store the other day looking for a nice steak to cook for dinner and got distracted when I saw packs of meaty beef back ribs for sale. I couldn’t recall the last time I had cooked them.

It’s Mother’s Day, and in this column over the years I have written about my mother, Julie, and the food she cooked when I was growing up. Today, though, I thought I would talk about my father’s mother, my grandmother.

You really appreciate the skills of a well-trained sushi chef when you make sushi yourself. The chef makes it quickly, precisely, flavourfully and attractively, while home cooks can struggle, especially if they don’t often make sushi.

Baked potatoes and yams are often served as a side dish. In today’s recipes, though, I’ve elevated their status and made them the star on the plate. With regard to the spuds, I made twice-baked potatoes.