Some flavours are just meant to be together—it's like destiny, food-style. Cilantro and lime are flavour soul mates—they just go together like peas and carrots. The addition of cilantro and lime to a basic dish, like rice and beans, escalates it from "plain and boring" to "superstar." Add a little cumin into the mix and the flavour is out of this world.

Last month, when it was minus thirty outside and it felt like winter would never, ever end, I went grocery shopping and saw in the produce aisle asparagus on sale. Signs of spring! My husband grew up in a place where asparagus grew wild and to him, springtime was ushered in by the sight of asparagus poking through the soil. I'm happy enough to see it in the produce section.

When I was a swinging single girl, I used to eat the following things for dinner on a rotating basis: instant rice with steamed broccoli, popcorn, and pasta with jarred sauce. Regardless of the brand I purchased, the sauce never had quite the right flavour for me—it was always too sweet or too garlicky, too bland or too bloat-inducing. I wasn't much of a cook back then (obviously), so I didn't know how easy it can be to make a basic tomato sauce.

When I received a copy of Homemade Doughnuts, by Kamal Grant, for review, my eight-year-old son nearly lost his mind with happiness. This book provides a number of delectable doughnut recipes, as well as icings, glazes, fillings, and fun toppings, like carrot sprinkles and orange dust, which I can't wait to try. My doughnut-loving son and I spent several evenings together at bedtime, reading through the recipes and admiring the gorgeous photography.