Some places across the country are still getting frost in the morning; other climes are sunny and warm already. No matter. Let’s move on to springtime in the kitchen.

We need renewal and the green promises. And if it means cheating a little — asparagus from elsewhere, peas from the freezer — so be it. It’s been a long winter.

Asparagus absolutely qualifies as a signal of spring, and what better way to celebrate the season than a salad of them. A platter of green spears, bathed in a mustard-tinged vinaigrette, would be perfectly fine. But for a celebratory dinner, it’s nice to dress things up a bit, with finely slivered raw beets, a shower of dill, parsley and mint leaves, and chopped (or quartered) soft-cooked egg. A few thin slices of prosciutto complete the colorful assembly.

For the best flavor, look for the freshest firm, shiny asparagus available, whether pencil thin, medium or hefty, then give them a few minutes in simmering salty water before letting them cool to room temperature on a clean towel.

For carnivores, springtime and lamb are synonymous, so in honor of the season, I braised a succulent lamb shoulder with white wine and aromatics. A braise is practical too, since it can be prepared well in advance of serving, even a day ahead.

Though boneless roasts can be found at most butchers, you could also braise thick-cut, bone-in shoulder chops, tied together. But could you roast a leg of lamb or a couple of lamb racks instead? Yes, or you could cook chops on the grill or under the broiler, especially since the real star of this main is a mélange of greens (chard, kale or large spinach) and beans, punched up with rosemary, hot pepper and orange zest.

It’s thrilling if you can find fresh fava beans. If not, frozen, peeled favas are available at Middle Eastern groceries. Or use frozen edamame, baby limas, green peas or a combination. If none of those are options where you are, toss the cooked greens with lentils or small white beans for an extremely pleasing combination.

For dessert, a bowl of strawberries and cream is always a winner. But consider a lemony spongecake, topped with strawberries and cream, which may well generate applause. It’s worth seeking out smaller strawberries, which tend to be riper and sweeter than the large, white-shouldered type.

The cake is doused with a syrupy lemon glaze made from lemon juice, limoncello and powdered sugar. Lacking limoncello, use triple sec or an orange liqueur. Get the cake good and soggy, and take care when whipping the cream. As with so many of life’s instances, leaving it on the looser side keeps it luxurious.

Herby Asparagus Salad With Beets and Prosciutto

Asparagus is absolutely a symbol of spring, so what better way to celebrate the season than by centering them in a salad. A platter of green spears, bathed in a mustard-tinged vinaigrette, would be perfectly fine, but for something more celebratory, it’s nice to dress things up, with finely slivered raw beets, a shower of dill, parsley and mint leaves, and chopped (or quartered) soft-cooked egg. A few slices of prosciutto complete the colorful assembly. For the best flavor, look for the freshest firm, shiny asparagus available, whether pencil thin, medium or hefty.

By David Tanis

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

For the vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the salad:

1 bunch medium asparagus (about 16 to 20 spears)
1 medium red beet, raw, peeled and julienned
3 tablespoons tarragon leaves (from 3 sprigs)
3 tablespoons dill sprigs (from 3 stems)
About 3 tablespoons parsley leaves (from 6 or so stems)
About 3 tablespoons mint leaves (from 1 to 2 large sprigs)
2 (8-minute) boiled eggs, peeled and roughly chopped
8 thin slices of prosciutto

DIRECTIONS

1. Make the vinaigrette: Put lemon juice and vinegar in a small bowl. Stir in mustard to dissolve. Add a good pinch of salt and some freshly ground pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.

2. Prepare the salad: Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus. In a large pot, bring abundantly salted water to a low boil. Add asparagus and cook until just tender, 2 to 4 minutes, depending on their width. Remove and spread out on a kitchen towel to cool. Set aside.

3. Divide cooked asparagus spears among 4 plates. Put beets in a small bowl, season with a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon vinaigrette. Top asparagus with dressed beet. Scatter herbs over each plate, then sprinkle with chopped egg. Drizzle vinaigrette over everything.

4. Tear prosciutto into wide ribbons; drape ribbons over each plate. Serve.

Lamb Shoulder With Greens and Beans

Lamb Shoulder with Greens and Beans. This lamb braise is a great option for hosts, since it can be prepared up to a day ahead. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich. (David Malosh/The New York Times)

Spring and lamb are synonymous, so in honor of the season, make this succulent lamb shoulder braised with white wine and aromatics. While the lamb is, of course, a showstopper, the real star is a mélange of greens (chard, kale or large spinach) and beans, punched up with rosemary, hot pepper and orange zest. Look for fresh favas, or substitute the peeled frozen variety (found at Middle Eastern grocery stores), frozen edamame, baby limas, green peas or a combination. An ideal dinner party main, every part of this dish can be prepared hours (or a day) ahead and reheated just before serving.

By David Tanis

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Total time: 3 hours

INGREDIENTS

1 (4-pound) boneless lamb shoulder roast or 4 to 6 thick bone-in lamb shoulder chops (3 to 4 pounds)
Salt and black pepper
1 teaspoon ground fennel
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
1 medium onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup dry white or red wine
4 cups chicken or lamb broth
1 pound sturdy leafy greens, such as chard, kale or spinach, ribs removed, leaves cut into wide ribbons
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
2 teaspoons roughly chopped rosemary
Pinch of red-pepper flakes
2 cups fava beans, shucked, blanched and peeled, or use a mix of edamame and peas

DIRECTIONS

1. Generously season lamb all over with salt and pepper and rub with ground fennel. (If using chops, stack them, and tie together tightly with twine into the shape of a roast.)

2. Set a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350 degrees. Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and add 2 tablespoons oil. When it shimmers, add diced onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring until softened and lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, bay leaf and tomato paste, and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously, then add wine and simmer briskly for 1 minute. Add broth and bring to a hard boil. Set lamb in the pot, cover and bake on the middle rack until quite tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

3. As the lamb bakes, add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high. Add the greens, working in batches if necessary and stirring as they cook down, then season with salt and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add orange zest, rosemary and red-pepper flakes, and stir to incorporate. Turn off heat. Taste and adjust seasoning, then set greens aside. When cool, squeeze out excess water.

4. When lamb is done, remove from the Dutch oven. (If using chops, place the bundle on a cutting board and remove twine.) Bring cooking liquid to a boil and reduce by half, spooning off any fat that rises to the surface. Turn off heat. Put lamb back in reduced cooking liquid, cover and keep warm.

5. Return greens and fava beans to the skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes to heat through, then transfer to plates. Cut lamb into thick slices or chunks and set on top of vegetables. (If using a chop, set a single chop on each plate.) Spoon cooking liquid over each dish and serve.

Lemon Cake With Strawberries and Cream

Lemon Cake with Strawberries and Cream. A lemony spongecake topped with strawberries is a joyous way to end the meal. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich. (David Malosh/The New York Times)

For dessert, a bowl of strawberries and cream is always a winner. But instead, consider this lemony spongecake topped with strawberries and cream, which may well generate applause. It’s worth seeking out smaller strawberries, which tend to be riper and sweeter than the large, white-shouldered type. The spongecake may be baked in advance, up to 2 days ahead. It’s fun to hide the strawberries under a thick layer of whipped cream, but you can serve the cream on the side if preferred.

By David Tanis

Yield: 8 servings

Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes, plus cooling time

INGREDIENTS

For the cake:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups/140 grams sifted cake flour, plus more for the pan
6 large eggs
3/4 cup/150 grams granulated sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

For the glaze:

3/4 cup/92 grams powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons limoncello or triple sec
1 cup/240 milliliters heavy cream
1/2 pound/225 grams ripe strawberries, hulled, rinsed and thickly sliced, quartered or halved

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan and set aside.

2. Prepare the cake: Place the flour in a large bowl and set aside. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat eggs at medium speed. Add granulated sugar, lemon zest, vanilla extract and salt. Beat until mixture is quite thick and nearly holds peaks, about 10 minutes. Quickly fold into the flour.

3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake until a skewer emerges cleanly when inserted into the middle of the cake, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on a rack in the pan. (It’s fine to make the cake a day or two in advance.)

4. Flip the cake onto a platter, leaving the flat surface on top.

5. Make the glaze: Stir together 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and the limoncello until all the sugar has dissolved. Brush all of the glaze over the cake.

6. Whip cream and 2 tablespoons of the remaining powdered sugar to form very soft peaks — don’t overwhip.

7. In a medium bowl, toss strawberries with remaining tablespoon lemon juice and the remaining 2 tablespoons powdered sugar.

8. Spoon strawberries on the cake and top with whipped cream to cover the berries. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours, if desired. Cut into wedges to serve.

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Kao Kalia Yang, a Hmong-American writer who lives in St. Paul, made Minnesota Book Award history Tuesday when she won awards in three categories at the 2025 Minnesota Book Awards ceremony at the Ordway Center in St. Paul.

Kao Kalia Yang (Courtesy of the author)

It is the first time in the 37-year history of the awards that an author has garnered this many awards at one time. The annual event is facilitated by Friends of the St. Paul Public Library and sponsored by Education Minnesota.

Here are the winners (an asterisk denotes a Minnesota publisher; category sponsors are in parentheses):

Anthology (new biennial award category, Minnesota Humanities Center)

“Locker Room Talk: Women in Private Spaces” edited by Margret Aldrich & Michelle Filkins (Spout Press)*: Subverting the traditional idea of “locker room talk,” this collection illuminates the conversations women share with family, friends and strangers, whether at the sinks of the First Avenue ladies’ room, on a bus heading to the Women’s March in Washington, D.C., or in the kitchen of an elder relative. They reveal the myriad ways women care for themselves, each other and their communities. Aldrich is the author of “The Little Free Library Book,” recipient of an Innovator Award from the Book Industry Study Group, and former Princeton University Writing Fellow. She is the director of communications and media relations at the Little Free Library nonprofit organization. She is a professor and reference and instruction librarian at Metro State University.

Children’s Literature (Beret Publishing)

“The Rock in My Throat” by Kao Kalia Yang; illustrated by Jiemei Lin (Carolrhoda Books/Lerner Publishing Group)*: Kao Kalia Yang shares her experiences as a young Hmong refugee in the United States navigating two cultures and two languages. She sees what happens as her parents enter the English-speaking world and are met with rudeness and disrespect. And in a silent act of rebellion, Kalia stops speaking at school. Yang is now a four-time Minnesota Book Award winner.

General Nonfiction (Fredrikson & Byron P.A.)

“The New Science of Social Change: A Modern Handbook for Activists” by Lisa Mueller (Beacon Press): Mueller highlights what works when it comes to group advocacy. Incorporating interactive exercises and the voices of experienced activists with her analysis, Mueller shows how a working knowledge of social science can help activists implement more effective strategies to create the real-world changes we want to see. Mueller is associate professor of political science at Macalester College.

Genre Fiction (Macalester College)

(Courtesy of the author)

“Where They Last Saw Her” by Marcie Rendon (Bantam/Penguin Random House): Quill has lived on the Red Pine reservation in Minnesota her whole life. She knows what happens to women who look like her. So when she learns women are being stolen, she is determined to do something about it. In her quest to find justice for all the women of the reservation, Quill is confronted with the hard truths of their home and the people who purport to serve them. Rendon, citizen of the White Earth Nation, is one of O: The Oprah Magazine’s 31 Native American Authors to Read Right Now and a McKnight Distinguished Artist Award winner. Author of the acclaimed Cash Blackbear novels, she is also a playwright and poet.

Memoir/Creative Nonfiction (Bradshaw Celebration of Life Centers)

“Where Rivers Part: A Story of My Mother’s Life” by Kao Kalia Yang (Atria Books/Simon & Schuster): Kao Kalia Yang channels her mother’s saga with tenderness and clarity, beginning with a childhood in Laos marked by the violence of America’s Secret War. Yang follows her mother’s story through flight, a refugee camp in Thailand, and immigration to the United States where she enrolls in high school at 30 while providing for her family.

Middle Grade Literature (Education Minnesota)

(Courtesy of Dutton Books for Young Readers)

“The Diamond Explorer” by Kao Kalia Yang (Dutton Books for Young Readers/Penguin Random House): Malcolm is the youngest child of Hmong refugees, born over a decade after his youngest sibling, giving him a unique perspective on his complicated immigrant family. As middle school begins, we see this “quiet, slow Hmong boy” is anything but. Malcom is a gifted collector of his family’s stories and tireless seeker of his own place within an evolving Hmong-American culture. His journey toward becoming a shaman like his grandparents before him is inspiring and revelatory. This is the author’s debut middle-grade novel.

Emilie Buchwald Award for Minnesota Nonfiction (Annette and John Whaley)

“The Minneapolis Reckoning: Race, Violence, and the Politics of Policing in America” by Michelle S. Phelps (Princeton University Press): The fiery protests that followed the 2020 murder of George Floyd made Minneapolis a national emblem for the failures of police reform. In response, members of the Minneapolis City Council pledged to “end” the Minneapolis Police Department. The book details the city’s struggles and shows how the dualized meaning of the police — as both the promise of state protection and the threat of state violence — creates the complex politics of policing that thwart change. Phelps is associate professor of sociology at the University of Minnesota and has been active in Twin Cities reform efforts by the Human Rights Watch and Pew Charitable Trust’s Public Safety Performance Project.

Novel/Short Story (Minnesota Humanities Center)

“Obligations to the Wounded” by Mubanga Kalimamukwento (University of Pittsburgh Press): Explores the expectations and burdens of womanhood in Zambia and for Zambian women living abroad. The collection converses with global social problems to illustrate how girls and women manage religious expectation, migration, loss of language, death, intimate partner violence, and racial discrimination. Kalimamukwento is an award-winning Zambian lawyer and writer. Her first novel, “The Mourning Bird,” was listed among the top 15 debut books of 2019 by Brittle Paper.

Poetry (Wellington Management Inc.)

“Bluff” by Danez Smith (Graywolf Press)*: “Bluff” is Smith’s reckoning with violence, shame, easy pessimism, their responsibility as a poet and their hometown of the Twin Cities. This book is a kind of manifesto about artistic resilience, even when time and will can seem fleeting. Smith turns to honesty, hope, rage and imagination to envision futures that seem possible. Smith is the author of three previous poetry collections, including “Homie,” winner of the Minnesota Book Award and a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the NAACP Image Award. “Don’t Call Us Dead” was a finalist for the National Book Award.

Young Adult Literature (Red Balloon Bookshop)

“Where Wolves Don’t Die” by Anton Treuer (Arthur Levine/Levine Querido): Ezra Cloud hates living in Northeast Minneapolis and being away from the rez at Nigigoonsiminikaaning First Nation. And he hates the local bully, Matt Schroeder. Ezra gets into a terrible fight with Matt at school, and that same night, Matt’s house burns down. Ezra becomes a prime suspect. Knowing he won’t get a fair deal, Ezra’s family sends him away to his grandfather in a remote part of Canada. But the Schroeders are looking for him. Treuer is professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University and author of many books. He is building an Ojibwe teacher training program at Bemidji State University.

Kay Sexton Award (previously announced)

To Ann Regan, recently retired editor-in-chief at Minnesota Historical Society Press, where she worked for 45 years in several positions.

More information about the awards can be found at www.thefriends.org/winners.

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Today is Wednesday, April 23, the 113th day of 2025. There are 252 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On April 23, 1971, hundreds of Vietnam War veterans opposed to the conflict protested by tossing their medals and ribbons over a wire fence constructed in front of the U.S. Capitol.

Also on this date:

In 1635, the Boston Latin School, the first public school in what would become the United States, was established.

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Today in History: April 19, federal building bombed in Oklahoma City

In 1898, Spain declared war on the United States, which responded in kind two days later.

In 1940, over 200 people trapped inside a dance hall died in the Rhythm Club Fire in Natchez, Mississippi, one of the deadliest nightclub fires in U.S. history.

In 1988, a federal ban on smoking during domestic airline flights of two hours or less (accounting for 80% of all U.S. flights) went into effect.

In 1993, labor leader Cesar Chavez died in San Luis, Arizona, at age 66.

In 2005, the recently created video-sharing website YouTube uploaded its first clip, “Me at the Zoo,” which showed YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim standing in front of an elephant enclosure at the San Diego Zoo.

In 2007, Boris Yeltsin, Russia’s first popularly elected president, died in Moscow at age 76.

In 2018, a man plowed a rental van into crowds of pedestrians in Toronto, killing 10 people and leaving 16 others hurt. (Alek Minassian was later convicted of 10 counts of murder and sentenced to life in prison.)

Today’s Birthdays:

Actor Lee Majors is 86.
Actor Blair Brown is 79.
Actor Joyce DeWitt is 76.
Filmmaker-author Michael Moore is 71.
Actor Judy Davis is 70.
Actor Valerie Bertinelli is 65.
Actor-comedian George Lopez is 64.
Actor Melina Kanakaredes (kah-nah-kah-REE’-deez) is 58.
Actor-wrestler John Cena is 48.
Retired MLB All-Star Andruw Jones is 48.
Comedian-TV host John Oliver is 48.
Actor Kal Penn is 48.
Actor-model Jaime King is 46.
Singer Taio Cruz is 45.
Actor Dev Patel is 35.
Model Gigi Hadid is 30.
Olympic snowboarding gold medalist Chloe Kim is 25.
Prince Louis of Wales is 7.

LAS VEGAS — If you return from a four-day trip to Vegas able to say you broke even, you’re ahead of the game.

After as dominating a 30-minute stretch of hockey as they have played this season, the Minnesota Wild are heading home from Sin City having broken even in the first 120 minutes of their first-round playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights.

The duo of Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov led the way as the Wild took advantage of a rash of Vegas turnovers, jumping out to a commanding lead on the way to a 5-2 win in Game 2 of this best-of-seven, sending the team back to Minnesota with the series knotted 1-1.

Game 3 of the series is Thursday evening in St. Paul. Opening faceoff is 8 p.m. CT.

Anchoring the team’s top line with Joel Eriksson Ek and Boldy, Kaprizov had two goals, while Boldy had a goal and an assist. Filip Gustavsson stopped 29 shots for the Wild, who led 4-0 halfway through the game, quieting the normally raucous crowd inside the rink that locals call “the Fortress.”

Minnesota Wild players celebrate a goal by left wing Kirill Kaprizov against Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (33) during the second period of Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)

Marcus Foligno and Mats Zuccarello scored goals, as well, as Minnesota beat Vegas for the first time this season in their fifth head-to-head meeting. Adin Hill had 12 saves for the Knights.

Gustavsson was busy right from the start, turning aside a pair of Vegas shots in the game’s opening minute, including one off of his mask. After four minutes the shots were 5-0 Knights, but the Wild pushed back, hard. Hill had to stop Ryan Hartman on a solo rush to the net, then brought the crowd to its feet when he denied Joel Eriksson Ek with a glove save on what looked like a sure goal shot from the side of the net.

Undaunted, the Wild struck first near the midway point of the opening period when Kaprizov’s long lead pass found Boldy a half-stride ahead of two Vegas defenders at center ice. Boldly held off his pursuers long enough to slip a low shot past Hill, giving Minnesota its first lead of the series.

The Wild doubled the lead less than 2 minutes later when Hartman’s pass from behind the net found Foligno uncovered at the top of the crease for a quick shot and Foligno’s first playoff goal. It was 3-0 before the period ended after Marcus Johansson’s pretty backhand pass from just inside the blue line caught Zuccarello in stride, and the veteran wing went around a Knights defender and to the net alone, flipping a wrist shot past Hill’s glove.

It was a play that began when a Vegas defender tried to deliver a hard check on Zuccarello along the boards and missed, giving Minnesota a numbers advantage heading into the offensive zone.

Not content with their three-goal advantage, the Wild pounced on another Vegas turnover early in the second, keying a two-on-one rush with Kaprizov and Boldy. Carrying the puck and given the option to pass or shoot, Kaprizov took the second option and the puck slipped under Hill’s pad after the goalie made the initial save for a 4-0 Minnesota lead.

Vegas made a push midway through the second, pinning the Wild’s fourth line in their zone for more than a minute, with two Minnesota players missing their sticks, and forcing Gustavsson to make a trio of saves before the puck deflected out of play.

But the home team kept pressuring and got on the board with just under eight minutes left in the middle frame when defenseman Noah Hanifin zipped a wrist shot past Gustavsson’s glove from 15 feet out. Vegas outshot Minnesota 11-3 in the second, but the Wild emerged up by three goals.

But the home club kept chipping away at Minnesota’s lead, with Tomas Hertl getting his second goal of the series early in the third, not long after Hill had stuffed an Eriksson Ek scoring chance on the doorstep.

The “let them play” approach by the on-ice officials continued, with just one penalty called in the game. The Wild got the game’s lone power play in the third period but did not get a shot on Hill. Vegas defenseman Nicolas Hauge, who was not called for a cross check to the face of Hartman in Game 1, got away with a clear punch to Kaprizov’s face late in Game 2.

The Russian sniper’s revenge came on the ice, as he hit an empty net with a 190-foot shot from beyond the far goal line for the clincher.

This is the 18th playoff series in Wild franchise history, and they avoided falling in a 0-2 hole for the 10th time with the win.