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.
Bannock, the aboriginal flatbread, goes breat with samon burgers and venison chili. Adjust the heat when cooking the bannock so they cook evenly all the way through (you may have to lower it slightly). You can adjust the size as needed.
Read Moret’s best to buy caramels from chocolate shops that will melt easily. However, baking caramels will work as long as you stir them. Alternatively, make your own salted caramel by following a caramel recipe and adding 1 tsp salt. The size of your ramekins will determine how many you can make.
Read MoreOne thing I always love about Thanksgiving is the stuffing. Here’s a recipe to serve alongside the hens. This also serves as a starch.
Read MoreBy butterflying the hens, they take no time to bake. Alternatively, grill them bone side down for 40 minutes. For vegetables, try Brussels sprouts and roasted parsnips.
Read MoreFrom tacos, to pork belly extravaganzas, the sandwich is having a culinary moment. One of the juiciest, tastiest sandwiches I ever had was at Publican Quality Meats in Chicago, a real deli with a commitment to making the best charcuterie and artisan meat.
Anne Sorrenti, chef from Morgans on the Danforth, made garlic pizza, which inspired this garlic-infused pasta dish.
Read MoreFestival favourite Babi&Co. doesn’t have a permanent home yet, so this catering company re-creates traditional Indonesian street foods using fresh and local ingredients at pop-up events. Their addictive Perkedel Jagung corn fritters are packed with garlicky flavour.
Read MoreSang Kim – the brains behind a popular sushi-making class, catering company, and some of the Toronto’s iconic Japanese and Korean restaurants like Ki – created this delectable “Tosa-style” (bonito-infused soy sauce) garlic salmon sashimi.
Read MoreIndian curry pastes of varying spiciness are available at the supermarket. I like to use mild for this dish but use spicier if you prefer. Whipping cream does not curdle when cooked, like all other milks, creams and yogurts. If you want a lighter recipe, substitute chicken stock for the cream. Serve with basmati rice, a tomato and onion salad and chutney.
Read MoreThis version of an Indian-flavoured soup uses lentils (dhal) to thicken the soup rather than being a main ingredient, letting the cauliflower shine.
Read MoreUsing Indian spices in a subtle manner enhances the flavour of pork wonderfully, as you’ll find in the recipe below. If you don’t have a spice grinder, use ground spices, although they don’t have the same depth of flavour. For an accompanying apple compote, spy or Granny Smith apples are best.
Read MoreServe with garlicky sautéed spinach and fingerling potatoes. Look for loin chops that have a good piece of fillet in them.
Read MoreSmoked trout is easy to find, but quality varies; it pays to buy from a reputable fishmonger. The bright-tasting mayo and the slightly sweet balsamic glaze give an added kick.
Read MoreThis simplicity of this dish means the flavour depends on the quality of the pork and tomatoes. Oaxaca-grown chile de agua look like a smaller poblano but are much hotter. Since they’re not widely available, Kennedy suggests using a fresh green chili.
Read MoreThe original recipe calls for sierra mackerel, but halibut is more readily available. Chilies and other Mexican ingredients are available at Latin American stores and online. Tomatillos look like green tomatoes with a papery skin that is removed before using. Leave the seeds in the jalapeno for a hotter taste.
Read MoreShrimp and grits has become popular on menus at high-end restaurants of late, but it’s a dish that has been around for hundreds of years.
Read MoreI love doughnuts but never realized how easy they are to make.
Read MoreI ate these at a restaurant in San Francisco and inhaled a whole bowl. They’re easy to make, and the more you have the better. Place the leaves on a platter or in a bowl – these are finger food.
My tester Kristen Eppich suggested soup shooters for a smart presentation. Serve your favourite soup recipe in shooter glasses or small mugs. This classic mushroom soup is spiked with Middle Eastern spices.
Read MoreTo prepare an oyster platter, get them shucked at the fishmonger the day of the party, put them on ice and serve them on a cold tray. Garnish with lemons and grated horseradish or mignonette sauce. This traditional French sauce for oysters gives them a piquant flavour.
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© 2018, Lucy Waverman.
