The Breath Of Fresh Air: Nem Nướng Cuốn (Vietnamese Spring Rolls)

There's snow, and then there's 28 inches of snow.

To be honest, I've always had a soft spot for the white stuff. Only a particularly prodigious storm can turn the city into a pastoral winter landscape worthy of the collective Pieters Bruegel -- and yesterday's precipitation did just that. That being said, enjoying the snowfall doesn't mean I like the aftermath; a solid week of ice, wind, and muddy sludge collecting in storm drains. It doesn't take long to go from cabin-like security to cabin fever. The cold alone will do it to ya.

The point is this -- February can be a demanding month. Spring is just around the corner, and yet so far away. For that reason, this week's recipe gives you a reason to look ahead, a reason to remember that sunshine, green leaves, and maybe even tall, cool glasses of lemonade are only about 10 weeks away. Let's get to it.

At A Glimpse: Pizza Marinara with Arugula, Lardons, and Fried Egg

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The Overlooked Joy: Farmhouse Chèvre

"Cheese?" you may say.

"Doesn't that need a dedicated refrigerator, and take weeks, if not months of curing?"

"Won't it smell bad?"

"Don't I need rennet, and powdered acid, and all sorts of complicated equipment?"

Fear not, dear readers. While it's true that making a well-aged Gouda might require a bit more in the way of preparation, there are many "fresh" cheeses -- mozzarella, ricotta, queso fresco -- that take only a few hours of forethought and can be made with supplies found in your local grocery store.

At A Glimpse: Baked Salmon with Roasted Tomato-Edamame Relish

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The Spring in Winter: Grapefruit Curd Tulips

I really do wish I had the time to update this page more often.

That's not to say that I don't get satisfaction putting up one recipe a week; it's just that, for every one dish that appears here, there are often five or six others that don't make the cut, whether due to time, photographic quality, or other intangible factors.

For instance, when I look at these minty Dark Chocolate Starlight Cookies...

The Old Acquaintance, Forgotten: Baked Alaska with Flourless Chocolate Torta

I'm not really a New Year's Eve kind of guy.

Well, perhaps I should say that I'm not one to "go out" on December 31st -- there are drunks driving out on the road, restaurants run terrible, over-priced prix fixe menus, and, when the strike of midnight arrives, it's often, more than not, a little bit of a let down. That's not to say that I don't like getting together with friends. Armed with an overcoat, a decent pair of gloves and a working subway system, I'll do my best to put in an appearance, a bottle of cava in hand.

Anyway, after years of NYE naysaying, karma finally caught up with me -- this past Thursday, I rang in 2010 by myself, and in a decidedly uncomfortable position. The Pasta Burner was out of town (visiting her family), and, while working on a few projects around the house, I threw out my back something wretched. Indeed, as 11:59 became 12:00, I found myself horizontal, a heating pad tucked underneath me, the Times Square ball appearing to drop left-to-right.

The Vilified Tradition, Ameliorated: Sour Cream Fruitcake

I'm not someone who usually follows the weather too closely. Actually, to be more accurate, I should say that I don't follow the weather reports too closely. For about 49 weeks of the year, waking up in the morning and sticking a hand out the window works for me.

But even I saw this past weekend's snow storm coming, and so, with the Pasta Burner by my side, we headed off to stock up on all sorts of necessary provisions to wait out the storm. While we did get the important things (okay, ice cream), I also thought two days of being snowed in would provide the perfect opportunity to launch into a significant baking project.

The Traveler's Tipple: Eurorail Cocktail

With the cool, wet blanket of December settling in over the East Coast, it's finally time to settle in for the winter.

Now, you say, shouldn't we be ready for hot toddies, for steel-cut oatmeal and thick, woolen socks? Of course we should -- but when the random 60 degree day slips through the cracks, when you still cross the street to feel the sun on your face, when there are still wonderful, beguiling elixirs like Campari to drink...well, you look for any reason to ignore the oncoming chill of the next few months.

I was intoxicated (both literally and figuratively) by Campari the very first time I tried it; the idiosyncratic flavor, bitter and sweet, made my imagination run wild. It's hard to think of a better aperitif; apart from the flavor, which wonderfully stimulates the appetite (particularly for salty foods), the eye-catching red color will liven up any dinner party. Unfortunately for those of us who live in cool climes, after Labor Day, Campari drinking often goes the way of white clothing -- for many of us that have acquired the taste for it, its identification as a summer-only tipple is a sad and unnecessary restriction.

Indeed, in my opinion, Campari can have several fall and winter uses; a splash adds a smart twist to Thanksgiving cranberry sauce, and, when added to mulled wine, Christmas cheer abounds. But, perhaps, more than anything else, what Campari lacks is a signature cocktail for the cooler months -- a more respectable, buttoned down counterpoint to August's parade of Americanos and Negronis. To that end, then, we have today's recipe.

The Barbeque Pit, For Brunch: Char Siu Bao (叉燒包)

Anyone who's a fan of Cantonese style dim sum knows about the glory of Char Siu Bao, the delicious yeast-raised Barbeque Pork Buns. Part pastry, part richly-flavored meat, and all flavor, these little packages deliver a punch of savory flavor wrapped inside a pillow of sweet dough.

Thanks in part to restauranteurs such as David Chang of Momofuku Ko in New York, Char Siu Bao have exploded in popularity across the country in the past few years -- on a recent trip to Los Angeles, I even spied them in a convenience store. Few people realize just how easy these are to make; after today's post, I'm sure you'll want to make them part of your regular brunch (or dinner, or party appetizer, or midnight snack) rotation.

Let's get right to it.

The Holiday Party Twist: Mustard-Caper Pickled Shrimp

First and foremost, my thanks to Burning Pasta's patient readers. Last week's trip out of town was quite successful (a post about it shall be forthcoming at the end of December), and, while the resulting jet-lag is sure to linger for a day or two, we've returned full of new and wonderful ideas to fill the next few months of posts. Let's get right to today's recipe.

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Few things are as classic to holiday parties than the old warhorse appetizer known as Shrimp Cocktail. This isn't to say that the dish is a bad thing -- shrimp, horseradish, a nebulous tomato-based sauce; all of these things are quite delicious (no matter their provenance), and they work quite well together.

This being said, as one travels through the month-long antacid advertisement that is the holiday season, Shrimp Cocktail becomes more than ubiquitous. Why not serve something that will set your party apart?

Today's recipe is a great alternative, a sweet-and-sour Southern standard that's been sorely neglected across other regions of the country. It's festive, quick, easy, and can be prepared far before your guests arrive. Let's start cooking.