Forty-one pounds a kilo...

"It's officially white asparagus season", hailed the Austrian from the London loft kitchen,?"Horah", I replied. It wasn't until I moved to Berlin that I had even heard of white asparagus, never mind a whole associated culinary season which runs until early June; being devoutly English, we would only dine on the delicate green spears in early spring and usually without a celebration. These white subterranean cousins (affectionately known as white gold) are very different in looks and flavour. I adore them - especially 'Flemish style' with a buttery egg topping (also known as Bolzano Butter) and a side of new potatoes (from the island of Jersey, naturally), polished off alongside a rather splendid Gruber R?schitz Grüner Veltliner 2021. For anyone heading this way from Europe - my gift of choice would be a kilo of white gold - it is so expensive here on the island at ￡41 a kilogram! But so worth it.??

Fellow gastronauts will?love?this week's Sunday Edit of tasty buds dedicated to the chefs, producers and aficionados of?satisfyingly happy bellies.?

One of the chefs has two Michelin stars in Madrid, but did you know that he also pioneers the bounty of the sea & land at his?Costa Brava outpost? How about the?chef that can only be reached by cable car?in the mountains of Monte San Vigilio in South Tyrol, a?Brit lost in Bavaria, a tattooed maverick genius in Austria's pantry of Bregenzerwald, or let the forager of Pannonia,?Gault & Millau Chef of the Year 2024,?tickle those taste buds,?or?perhaps a leek party?on a plate served at an Amsterdam foodie hideaway.?

In Italy -?five tomatoes?make Chef Parisi?on?Lake Como?a happy guy. Yes, amigos of the heart, here are a handful of foodies' hotspots where acidity is smoked, butter is caramelised, and the?bread sings (at Alain's place) Humble, simple ingredients create menus as inherent as the old tree found outside.? Finally, serious flavour hunters, listen up. Limited space is available,?and bookings open on 8th April for award-winning chefs?Nancy Silverton and Missy Robbins as they?take up a five-day culinary?residency in?Tuscany this September.

Fellow gastronauts set course to deliciousness and sample great food?prepared by the true flavour hunters. There are also food guides to Gothenburg and Vienna, and?have you ever been Foodie Cycling??

Hugs?

Iain & Co.