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.
A sweet tangle of onions and shrimps with spicy overtones make this an exceptional dish. Use large shrimp (15 to 20 to a pound or 450 grams) to protect against overcooking. The heat in this dish is personal preference.I don’t like it too hot, as I want the delicate lemongrass taste to come through. Serve with rice or rice noodles.
Use a wok or a large non-stick skillet to prepare this dish. Always heat your wok before adding oil and stir-fry over high heat. Time is of the essence, so chop and measure everything beforehand.
Read MoreI admit this is a bit far-fetched, but the aliens in District 9 were called Prawns and the movie is up for an Oscar. This is a Creole version of shrimp cocktail and in my opinion far superior. The sauce has colour, texture and a real zing.
I had this dish at a stall at the Tokyo fish market during a recent visit. It featured fresh shrimp with the heads still on, but we made do with extra-large shrimp here. This is my take on the recipe, as the people at the stall spoke no English. You can use chicken or pork in this recipe, which is a great way to use up leftover vegetables. Bottled yakisoba stir fry sauce is available in stores, but my version comes very close to what I had and is easy to pull off.
Read MoreThis recipe was inspired by lunch at Red Fish Grill in New Orleans. The fish of choice in Louisiana is oily, rich-flavoured redfish, which isn't available here. But red snapper makes an excellent substitute. If you prefer to cook indoors, bake at 450 F for the same amount of time.
Read MoreThe Cliff, the most elegant restaurant in Barbados, lives up to its name. It's cliffside views are so spectacular, you feel like you are in a fairyland. Chef Paul Owens, an Englishman who's lived in Barbados for 15 years, uses culinary influences from all over the world with a Bajan sway. I loved his Thai-influenced curry, which uses lots of Barbadian peppers for colour and zest.
Read MoreI have a field of chervil in my garden – nothing seems to defeat it so I use it a lot. It has a slightly licorice fresh flavour, which gives the shrimp a lovely tang. If none is available, substitute with tarragon. If you want to use this as a main course double it and serve with sautéed kale.
Read MoreI use canned beans here but you can cook your own. Serve this exceptionally tasty dish with greens. It also makes a good first course.
Read MoreI use hot smoked paprika in this dish but the mild works well too. Make the pesto ahead of time and warm it when needed to serve with the shrimp. Scallops and halibut are both good substitutes.
Shrimp 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 MoreSpot prawns are available fresh at farmers markets and sustainable-fish stores for the next few weeks or frozen all year. If desired, use medium shrimp instead.
Read Moreuse hot smoked paprika in this dish but a mild version works too. Make the pesto ahead of time and warm when needed.
Read MoreA tangle of baby shrimp top this easy chilled soup. Look for ripe avocados that have a little give to them.
Read MoreYou might think you can use any pasta shape to make a dish, but the right shape can really elevate the flavour. This savoury shrimp pasta was ho-hum when my food testers and I made it with penne, but when we switched to orecchiette, a pasta from Puglia, Italy, it was a completely different dish.
Read MoreThis is a great appetizer served on skewers or a main course tossed with the Sriracha.
Read MoreFregola is a Sardinian pasta rolled into little balls, dried and then toasted, which gives it its distinctive nutty flavour. It is a perfect match in soups, mixed with seafood, or made like a risotto.
Read MoreThis dish is simple and decadent. If spot prawns are not available, then use a 15- to 20 (per pound)-size shrimp preferably farmed organic. I prefer white shrimp to black tiger, which seem all texture and no taste to me.
Read MoreSpot prawns usually come with the shell and head on, which is what makes them expensive. However, this recipe also works well for headless prawns and shrimp. The meat cooks inside the shell for maximum flavour and messy eating.
A sweet tangle of onions and shrimps with spicy overtones make this an exceptional dish. Use large shrimp (15 to 20 to a pound or 450 grams) to protect against overcooking.
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© 2018, Lucy Waverman.
