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.
This dish is in honour of St. David, the Welsh patron saint, whose life is celebrated on March 1. Welsh Caerphilly cheese is slightly salty, with a hard centre, and soft around the edges. Welsh miners would take it underground because the saltiness helped them retain water in the heat, and the hard rind was easy to hold and discard with dirty hands.
Read MoreCuz's in Barbados uses freshly caught marlin, but I have substituted tilapia, which is much easier to find in this country. The sandwiches are served up with a choice of mayonnaise, barbecue sauce and lethally hot Scotch bonnet sauce. At Cuz's they use a very soft roll called salt bread.
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 MoreMake sure your kale is fully dry after washing before attempting to fry it or it will pop and spit dangerously when it hits the oil.
The subtle taste of the anchovies gives the lamb an elusive but not salty flavour. Serve with flat pasta squares or orzo tossed in butter.
Read MoreThis is a one-bowl cake that works brilliantly: simply beat everything together and bake. Serve with fruit on the side. It makes a lovely breakfast cake too.
Read MoreFez is the ancient spiritual centre of Morocco. Its Medina, the ancient city centre, is the oldest in existence. Spice vendors selling mounds of brightly coloured spices are everywhere, and this recipe is an homage to them. It is full flavoured and should be served with couscous, blood orange and radish salad. The fresher the spices, the better the flavour.
Read MoreUse the best, freshest tuna you can find. Look for a centre-cut piece as it has less sinew. This should be made an hour before serving. If you have leftovers, fry some little tuna meatballs.
Read MoreThe dessert is one of these broken-cookie desserts so popular in Australia and Britain. This one has lemon curd folded in, which gives it great flavour contrast with the stem ginger cookies. It tastes yummy right out of the freezer, too. You can buy lemon curd rather than making your own. The thicker the lemon curd the firmer the bars will be.
Read MoreThis soup is a little spicy with minty and citrus flavours – a perfect beginning to any meal. You can use other herbs, such as basil or cilantro, if you prefer.
Read MoreThe exceptional really good Mexican Ataulfo and Indian Alfonso mangoes are now coming into season. These yellow, comma-shaped mangoes are rich-tasting, juicy and sweet, with a small stone.
Read MoreKnowing how prepare a simple poached salmon is an indispensable technique for every cook to learn. This recipe can be served either hot or cold. To serve hot, reduce the poaching liquid.
Read MoreThis refreshing salad is easy to make if you have a mandolin or V-Slicer, available at most kitchen stores. The buttermilk dressing is low in calories and packed with flavour.
Read MoreDon't use packaged egg whites for this because you won't get the same volume and stability as you would with fresh egg whites. This dessert may be made a day in advance, but the caramel should be added a few hours before serving.
Read MoreLegend has it that after winning the battle of Marengo in Italy, Napoleon wanted a celebratory meal but all the cook could find was chicken, eggs and bread. This dish was the triumphant result. It is rich and tasty and perfect for a dinner party.
Read MoreI've always loved devilled eggs, and these ones with subtle Japanese flavours offer a twist on the classic. Blanching the cucumbers gives them a vivid colour that they do not lose as they sit. Older eggs peel better than really fresh ones.
Read MoreFor a flavour change use arugula instead of watercress. It is more peppery than watercress and compliments the cucumber wonderfully.
Read MoreThe classic rolled sandwich with the gherkin in the middle. Peanut butter and banana rolls work the same way. If the bakery won't slice the bread horizontally, buy an uncut loaf and slice it yourself.
Read MoreSometimes after I've made meringues I have lots of egg yolks left over. This light sponge cake uses 6 of them and gives a very tasty result.
Read MoreThese brownies, made with pumpkin, are a nod to this fairy-tale wedding.
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© 2018, Lucy Waverman.
