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.
Densities, a one-step square, taste like a super-rich, moist brownie, only denser and even more luxurious. The intense chocolate-y taste gives a real high to chocolate lovers. My kids rate this an 11 out of 10.
Read MoreWith the tart lime mellowed by the sweet coconut, these squares always disappear quickly. To toast coconut, spread evenly on a baking tray and bake for about 5 minutes at 350 F or until fragrant.
Read MoreThis flat flavourful soufflé is rolled like a jelly roll. It looks impressive yet never fails, thanks to the extra flour folded in at the end. Make the day before to allow the flavours to mellow and to make cutting easier. Fillings can be varied; salmon, dill and cream cheese is another winner. Serve with pea shoots or other sprouts for garnish.
Read MoreThis is a rustic Italian way to cook vegetables. Jerusalem artichokes look a bit like knobbly ginger; peel them with a potato peeler and place in water with the juice of half a lemon to keep them from discolouring until ready to use. Make ahead and reheat in the oven when needed.
With a nod to Creole flavourings, this stuffing is superb with the capon. It should be cooked alongside the bird, rather than stuffed inside. I buy the cornbread already made.
Read MoreBrussels sprouts are the vegetable of the moment and this is an interesting take.
Read MoreMake these dumplings ahead of time and reheat in the soup. Making your own stock is best, otherwise buy chicken broth at the butcher shop or a low-salt Tetra Pak.
Read MoreYou can purchase a set of star cookie cutters at most supermarkets or department stores. Look for a set that consists of 10 star cutters, all different sizes. To assemble the tree, cut 2 sets of each of the 5 smaller stars and 1 set each of the 5 larger ones.
Read MoreOur version of the condiment uses cranberries as the base. It's not too sweet and is fantastic with tourtière or any bird, pork or savoury pie. Serve the leftovers with your Christmas bird. If you like sweeter condiments add an extra ¼ cup sugar to the recipe. The recipe doubles beautifully if you need a little jar of something for a hostess gift.
Tourtière is the savoury centrepiece of réveillon, the traditional Québécois dinner held on Christmas Eve. Light and flaky pastry is the key to this dish – you want to keep the focus on the subtly spiced filling. Make it ahead of time and reheat at 350 F until piping hot (about 25 minutes.)
Read MoreThis Butterflied Turkey is the easiest, most delicious turkey you could make this holiday season. Butterflying the bird not only produces a juicier result, but it also means less time in the kitchen. To infuse even more flavour into the turkey, you could also try brining it ahead of time.
We used the traditional method of soaking the grated potatoes and onions in ice water for 5 minutes before wringing them out. This produces extra-crispy latkes, which are slightly more fragile, so you will need to increase the flour to ¼ cup if you do it this way. Without soaking, the latkes are denser and a little easier to manage. The recipe is for unsoaked potatoes.
Spiced Parsnip Soup
Read MoreThere are few things more satisfying than the aroma of a stew bubbling gently in the oven. The most soothing of foods, stews are also one of the easiest to prepare. Plus, they freeze well, reheat beautifully and are even better after a couple of days.
After many rich meals over the holiday season, a light and spicy one-bowl soup is just the thing to refresh and restore the overindulged body. If you wish, you can use salmon or shrimp instead of chicken. The garnish is important for both the look and taste.
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 recipe is from The Art of Living According to Joe Beef. Itis a joyous book, celebrating life and food with tongue-in-cheek humour. More than a cookbook, it is a memoir, a history of Montreal, tales of people, places and things with a little philosophy thrown in.
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© 2018, Lucy Waverman.
