Recipe courtesy of Lobel’s Meat Bible (Raincoast Books).

Serve this soup hot or chilled. Recipe adapted from Oster. 

A decidedly different cranberry sauce. Serve warm or cold.

Some people prefer to blend all the ingredients together while others prefer the look of mixed and chopped ingredients. Experiment to find which method is your favourite.

It’s very important to get tomatoes that are in season because they are what make the dish.

The stuff you love to order at Greek restaurants, but you rarely make at home. It's very easy, seems to last well in the fridge and is marvellous for those 20 hungry minutes just before dinner.

When she presented me with her The Lesley Stowe Fine Foods Cookbook (HarperCollins), my friend Lesley wrote “Never eat more than you can lift” on the opening page, and ever since I have heeded the advice. Lesley is a food icon in Vancouver, and has made a national name for herself with her Raincoast Crisps, delicious and nutritious crackers that have made their way into food stores and supermarkets across the land. If you can find some, top them with Lesley’s sun-dried tomato pesto.

Here is the classic French leek and potato soup that is traditionally served cold.