Recipes, tips and reviews
These recipes are developed, tested and re-tested until perfect. Try one at home tonight.
I used the Japanese Kuri squash which is a fiery red colour. It roasts well. You can use any drier variety of squash for this curry.
The best Scottish shortbread handed down through my family. Crumbly, sweet and buttery.
This dish has a salty, savoury sauce with a little bit of a kick. If you don't want the spice of the jalapenos, leave it out, and finely diced onion can be used instead of the shallots.
This is the one hors d’oeuvre that I keep being asked for time and time again. It’s crunchy, creamy, spicy and hits all the high spots.
Mushrooms and squash have a real affinity and this soup proves it. I like to use oyster mushrooms, but chanterelles, which I found at the supermarket this week, provide the best flavour.
The fifth taste, umami, has much to do with glutamate, an amino acid found in such foods as prosciutto, soy sauce and a number of cheeses. Umami can show up in your glass, too (fermentation is glutamate’s old friend).
When this recipe originally ran in The Globe and Mail, I received a lovely note from reader Barbara Zuchowicz. This dish reminded her of a wonderful meal she had in Italy: "It brought back joyful memories of a trip to Italy my late husband, an exceptional cook, and I took a number of years ago.
Yule log is a memorable dessert for the holiday table, but forget the heavy chocolate kind; this lighter, more stylish one has a nut meringue and a mascarpone and passion-fruit filling.
Read MoreFor people who like their treats less sweet, this jewel-like spiced cake fills the bill. It keeps a week refrigerated.
Read MoreI like to pour a little of the turkey drippings from the pan into the cooked stuffing because I miss that rich flavour when it isn’t baked inside the bird. Use a small ¼-inch dice for the apple and vegetables. This reheats well.
Read MoreBuy a mixture of squash such as delicata, sweet potato and sweet dumpling. If you prefer less spice, use garlic and shallots instead of curry paste.
Read MoreI dry brine even when the breast is free range. To save time buy a kosher turkey breast (available at some supermarkets) and skip the dry brining.
Read MoreLooking for a brunch recipe to feed hungry holiday visitors? This decadent dish will garner raves. It can also be made ahead of time; do the final frying just before you are ready to serve.
Read MoreThese are similar to making a warm chocolate cake, but refrigerate them overnight before popping them into the oven. It helps take some stress out of preparing the whole menu at once.
Read MoreUse blended Scotch for the butter, not single malt. Serve with creamed spinach and garlic mashed potatoes.
Read MoreThe spice in the rich pastry highlights the filling, giving it a richer flavour. Comté cheese is a sweet, nutty French cheese that’s popular in cooking right now.
Read MoreShepherd’s pie was originally a Scottish dish made with ground lamb, but I prefer the beef version. Although it can be made with leftover roast beef, it never has the same body or taste.
Read MorePeas and carrots are a standard dish in most people’s cooking repertoire. Here they are raised to new levels with spicing. I use a small green bird’s eye chili but a serrano would also be fine. You can make this flavourful curry as hot as you wish.
Read MoreThese shanks are slow-cooked and end up glazed with a flavourful sauce. If you cook this the day before, chilling it makes it easy to skim the fat from the sauce. Serve with steamed rice and curried peas and carrots. If preferred, remove the meat from the shanks and add to the sauce for reheating.
Whether you’re dealing with post-holiday guests or post-holiday blues, a steaming bowl of spicy soup satisfies a need for comfort.
Le Comptoir in Paris has an intimate vibe and wonderfully tasty food on its set menu. The cheese tray alone is worth the visit. Chef Yves Camdeborde, a leader in the new bistro movement, served this as a luscious first course but it could also accompany a main. Pulse the celeriac in the food processor because you want it chopped like grains of rice.
Read MoreEverywhere in Paris, soup garnishes are arranged on the soup plate and the liquid is poured over at the table. It’s an easy, elegant way to serve this soup, inspired by the hearty food at Semilla, another modern bistro.
Read MoreTanya Holland, owner of Brown Sugar Kitchen and B Side Barbecue in Oakland, Calif., serves unforgettable crunchy andflavourful fried chicken as well as rich, smoky barbecue.
Read MoreBeauty’s Bagel Shop in Oakland, Calif., pays homage to Beauty’s in Montreal, where owner Blake Joffe’s father grew up. His savvy take on vegetarian deli food includes an unforgettable egg salad on a Montreal-style bagel that is balanced with salt and does not have that underlying sweetness.
Read MoreThis sensual dish of rare tuna is mixed with avocado and a scented dressing topped with nori chips. The chips are better than any potato chips you will ever have.
Read MoreChef Nick Liu serves pork belly at Chinese New Year. If you can’t find Shaoxing rice wine, substitute dry sherry.
Read MoreDanny Bowien’s beans go well with many Asian dishes, including the pork recipe below. Use balsamic vinegar if black is unavailable. Remove seeds from chilies before pickling if you want less heat.
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© 2018, Lucy Waverman.
