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.
Sriracha is a Thai hot sauce that includes sugar, chilies, garlic and vinegar for a balanced heat. It is the ketchup of Thailand. Pickerel is a sensational fish on the grill. You can either grill whole fillets or cut them into two or three pieces.
Read MoreGoan food, which is usually quite spicy, often contains some vinegar in the marinade to balance the fiery heat. Pairing it with cucumbers and limes help mellow out the flavour.
Read MoreA spectacular creamy summer lasagne. Use 2 bunches of spinach to replace Swiss chard if desired.
Read MoreI love spice, so I serve hot sauce on the side. The easy barbecue sauce is good with any grilled meats, and, unlike bottled, you can adjust the flavour and spice. If you are serving it just as a sauce, simmer for 15 minutes.
Read MoreThis chicken sandwich is flavour-packed. My belief is that the filling is everything and I don’t want the bread to detract from it. Choose a grainy loaf or wrap.
Read MoreI first had this sensational dessert in Chile in a small hotel in Patagonia. I did not get the recipe due to language problems but this is my take. There are two options for serving: either freeze the dessert or serve in pretty dishes.
Read MoreThe colour of radish is lovely but so too is its slightly spicy taste. Espelette peppers are mildly spicy and slightly smoky, which gives the dish a lift. You can substitute chili flakes for more heat, or omit peppers entirely – whatever your preference.
It’s best to buy lamb that’s already boned and butterflied. For the sauce, harvest a variety of herbs of your choice from your garden or balcony. Watercress or arugula adds a spicy note to the salsa but either may be replaced by parsley.
his unusual soup has a slight licorice flavour that is more pronounced when served chilled. If you can find baby fennel you will need three bulbs. Shave off a few shards to use as a garnish. The bigger fennel is not tender or pretty enough to use for that (in which case, basil is an attractive option).
Read MoreThis pastry is very rich but the lime zest cuts the richness and works well with the cherry flavour.
Read MoreI convinced my friend, filmmaker and writer Gail Singer, to give me her go-to recipe for summer dinner parties. It’s a standout dish that allows you to change the vegetables.
Read MoreUse long Asian eggplant for this dish. They are much easier to work with (and they’re prettier, too). You can serve this warm or cold as a first course or side.
Read MoreThe combination of sweet mango and hot chili is very tasty.
Read MoreYassa is a term for spicy marinated chicken from Senegal. If you want it even hotter, don’t seed the chilies. In Senegal they would serve this with rice and a bean called niebe or cow peas, which have a similarity to black beans. I prefer plain rice.
Read MoreMy mother used flour to thicken the soup and a combination of eggs and cream to enrich it at the end. Certainly you could use the eggs and cream, but I like the flavour of the coconut milk with the garam masala. I used Pink Lady apples but any tart apple will do.
Read MoreThis is my interpretation of Chef Hurley’s unique salad. Use larger cremini mushrooms and cut in quarters or halves rather than smaller ones, which dry out when roasted. The fingerlings should preferably be the waxy kind.
Read MoreGnocchi are not always easy to make but this recipe works well. Adding the flour gently, and knowing when to stop, is the key. Serve with pesto or butter and sage sauce.
Read MoreWe were served this roast at room temperature, but it could also be hot. If juniper berries are unavailable add a tablespoon of gin.
Read MoreIf you can’t find ditali (a short-cut pasta tube rather like a half-size rigatoni), penne or small rigatoni work equally well. You can add garlic and chilies to the zucchini for a punchier flavour, although they were not used in the original recipe.
This traditional recipe is from Emilia-Romagna where butter is often used instead of olive oil. Use another short pasta such as orrechiette when garganelli (an egg pasta cut into a square then rolled from the tip into a tubular shape) is not available.
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© 2018, Lucy Waverman.
