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.
Sue Devor – Gail’s honorary aunt – is an extraordinary baker. During Gail’s childhood, Sue would make her favourite decadent chocolate meringue cookies every Passover. Today, no Passover is complete in Gail’s home without them. These addictive cookies are a little crispy on the outside with a gooey, chewy chocolate centre.
Read MoreThis is the best candy to make with kids, as the foaming of the sugar mixture always delights them. The result is like a Crunchie bar.
A deeply satisfying chocolate cake without butter, eggs or milk. Use the best bittersweet chocolate you can find and read the ingredient list carefully to make sure it doesn't contain any milk solids.
Surround the brownies on this platter, which can be used to serve four or 44, with fruit and sauces in separate bowls. I like dulce de leche, chocolate sauce (recipe below) and a fruit purée (recipe below), usually strawberry. Choose three different types of ice cream and place them in chilled containers. Use berries too if they're available.
Read MoreSubstitute other nuts, if desired, or even other chocolate, such as milk or white.
Read MoreThis is not only a good example of a drop cookie, but it is also the definitive chocolate cookie - with chocolate in the dough and chocolate chunks distributed throughout the cookie. It is always first to go on a tray of mixed cookies.
Read Morehere's nothing more romantic than staying home for a special Valentine's Day dinner – especially if the kids aren't around. I developed this menu specifically for the non-cooking partner in the relationship. This is a surefire way to wow your sweetheart. The recipes are easy, as is the shopping.
Read MoreThese 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 MoreThis is the definitive chocolate monster-chunk cookie, with chocolate in the dough and chocolate chunks distributed throughout, adapted to be gluten-free. It's an irresistible combination of chocolatey tastes and textures.
Read MoreI tested a modernist cuisine recipe for a dark chocolate mousse that was inspired by Hervé This and Heston Blumenthal of Fat Duck fame. I tried many ways to make a white chocolate mousse and it was always too liquidy, but adding more chocolate gives it the perfect consistency.
Read MoreIn his travel guide/cookbook /restaurant guide, Serious Eats: A Comprehensive Guide to Making and Delicious Food Wherever You Are, Ed Levine delves into everything from pizza ovens to chocolate chip cookies.
This is no ordinary chocolate mousse. The spiced syrup lifts it from the mundane to the spectacular.
Read MoreHere’s a Valentine’s Day dessert you won’t have to fight over: The warm cardamom-spiked sauce over icy berries will satisfy a white-chocolate lover, while the crunchy dark-chocolate almond bark is a cocoa-driven classic for the purist in your pair.
Read MoreThis mousse is not only mouthwatering but it stays together beautifully. I usually make it a week ahead of time, freeze it and defrost slowly in the refrigerator.
Read MoreThis rich mousse is quick to make and has no eggs in it. You could substitute any jam for the marmalade. It looks pretty in espresso cups or you can serve it in small bowls.
Read MoreA lemony cheesecake with a strawberry topping is the perfect end to a dinner. It also freezes well. Make the cheesecake a few days ahead but don’t top with the strawberries until a few hours before.
Read MoreThis pastry is very rich but the lime zest cuts the richness and works well with the cherry flavour.
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 MoreCraggy and dark, these are one of the best brownie-like bars I have made.
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© 2018, Lucy Waverman.
