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.
Eggplant, a member of the nightshade family, comes in many shapes and sizes. The regular, oval-shaped eggplant should be salted before using; the football-shaped Sicilian eggplant has fewer seeds and a more custard-like texture; small Italian eggplants are good for roasting whole; and the seedless, zucchini-shaped Japanese eggplant is perfect for stir-frying.
Read MoreIn the late summer, bunches of small beets are a riot of colour. You can find orange, red and candy-striped, which all look wonderful in this substantial salad. Use the larger ones only if the small ones aren't available.
Read MoreThis recipes come from chef Marcus Samuelsson's new restaurant Red Rooster in Harlem. In the South, yardbird refers to a chicken that has never been cooped up.The shake will enhance beef, potatoes, rice, roast chicken, cooked vegetable mixtures and corn.
Read MoreHand pies are the name for individual pies folded into triangles or half moons. When folding, make sure that you don't get the blueberry filling right on the edge or you won't get a good seal. These may leak slightly, but are still mouthwatering.
Read MoreBraising halibut gives it a softer texture than roasting, allowing it to absorb more of the tangy tomato flavour.
Read MoreThis pure white cold soup is rich but not calorie-laden. It would look beautiful topped with caviar. To keep it affordable, I have used smoked salmon instead.
Read MoreThese delicate Spanish-inspired almond cookies can be filled with dulce de leche, jam, chocolate ganache, lemon curd or icing. This recipe makes a lot, but they keep very well. Serve them with roasted plums or sliced peaches with peach ice cream.
Read MoreYou need to use large cloves of garlic for this recipe so that they will cook without burning.
Read MoreIn Chile, tomato salad is served with just about everything. You can omit the spicy peppers if you wish. Coriander is the herb usually used but basil works beautifully with it, too. Use a poblano (greener heat) or banana pepper (more gentle) for the spice.
While there are many versions of chimichurri, it's always spicy, herbal and fresh. This version is used both as a baste for the lamb and as a finished sauce. Use a bone-in lamb leg for maximum flavour. The thickness of the meat affects the timing so have a meat thermometer handy. For medium rare, it should read 140 F at the thickest part.
These moist, chocolaty squares have a welcome hit of raspberry for contrast. They freeze well and only take about 30 minutes to come back to room temperature, which makes them ideal for packing in lunchboxes.
Read MoreEmma Waverman, my daughter, and Eshun Mott, my recipe tester, collaborated in writing Whining and Dining, a cookbook to help feed the picky eaters in your family. This recipe, one of the more sophisticated in the book, is a favourite of adults and children alike
Read MoreWe took the traditional Roquefort out of the dressing in deference to younger palates, but you can add it back in if you want a sharper taste. (Stilton or gorgonzola are also good substitutes.) Let your kids choose their own toppings.
Read MoreTraditionally served at Rosh Hashanah, this moist and flavourful cake symbolizes sweetness in the coming year. This may be baked in two loaf pans but start checking the timing after 45 minutes.
Serve over a starch, such as couscous, polenta or orzo, that will soak up the flavourful gravy. You don't need to strain the sauce but it's more elegant if you do.
Read MoreWith sweet potato and maple syrup, this soup represents both fall and sweetness.
Read MoreCabbage and gin are a wonderful marriage of flavours. The juniper taste of the gin works well with crown roast of pork and roast lamb.
Serve with crown roast of pork or with roast poultry. Cook it separately from the meat.
Read MoreThis melt-in-your-mouth tart is similar to a tarte tatin most often made with apples. It is a staple in my kitchen and always receives the highest acclaim. The pastry is quite delicate and may be rolled out between two sheets of plastic wrap to prevent breaking.
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© 2018, Lucy Waverman.
