This decadent dessert is impressive and easy to make.

Adapted from The Fondue Cookbook by Gina Steer (Whitecap Books).

Soy beverages in Tetra Pak cartons are a great alternative to buttermilk and it is full of vitamins and minerals.

A soufflé isn't as tricky to make as is often thought. It's true that it must be served immediately for all to enjoy the sight of that spectacular puffy top. But, it's actually very tasty regardless of whether its "breath" has escaped and deflated it.

Hot chili and chocolate make a surprisingly good combination. Sweet, smooth chocolate flavour melts on your tongue and satisfies your taste buds, then finishes with a kick of heat.

This recipe is adapted from Tom Jaine's and Nicholas Campion's book, Cosmic Cuisine - The Astrological Cookbook (Windward).

Spread this delicious curd on toast and croissants, use it to fill pastry shells, or pour into a pretty jar and give it away.

Recipe adapted from Cosmic Cuisine - The Astrological Cookbook by Tom Jaine and Nicholas Campion.

Spread your favourite jam on each crêpe and spoon a dollop of whipped cream sweetened with sugar and a splash of Luxardo Maraschino liqueur to transform this appetizer into a luscious dessert. Updated from an old recipe I had from Sunset Magazine.

A decidedly different cranberry sauce. Serve warm or cold.

Most of the components of this dish can be prepared ahead, allowing you lots of time to enjoy your guests. Recipe adapted from Gina Steer’s The Fondue Cookbook (Whitecap Books).

Be sure to choose firm cucumbers for this dish. English Cucumbers are the easiest to use because they contain minimal seeds. Otherwise, you can remove the seeds from other cucumber varieties with a small spoon.

If you have trouble finding some of the ingredients for this dish, there are some easy substitutions you can make, and you will still end up with the same delicious results. For the tamarind, make a paste out of lemon juice and dried dates, or use 1/2 cup cider vinegar mixed with 1 Tbsp sugar. For the galangal, use fresh ginger. For the lemon grass, use the rind of 4 small lemons.

The 3 - 2 - 1 ratio of flour, buter and water is the secret to making the ultimate flakey pie crust.

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.

Recipe adapted from Great Foods of the World -- Regional Italian, Mexican and Asian Cooking by Evan Kleiman, Susan Feninger, Mary Sue Milliken, Joyce Jue (Fog City Press).

Recipe adapted from Great Foods of the World -- Regional Italian, Mexican and Asian Cooking by Evan Kleiman, Susan Feniger, Mary Sue Milliken and Joyce Jue (Fog City Press).

This recipe is quick and tasty. It's a great way to use up all of those tomatoes that are so abundant in late summer.

This is a quick and delicious appetizer courtesy of McCormick Canada. The shrimp can be replaced with large scallops. Serve with lemon or lime wedges. These are also delicious cold. Remember, if you're using wooden skewers to soak them in water 2 hours to prevent burning.

With the addition of olive oil to the herbs, this classifies as a ‘wet rub.’ For a more colourful mix, try purple and yellow potatoes, too. I sometimes add about one-quarter cup of grated Pecorino cheese to the oil for an extra kick. Cut back on the salt if adding the cheese.

Tired of bacon that's too salty or watery? Try making it yourself at home. It may take a while, but the effort is certainly worth it. This is a really basic recipe for a rubbed dry cure bacon.

Honey and ginger provide a sweet and tangy flavour combination for salmon. Adapted from McCormick Canada

This honey-sweetened vinaigrette is a perfect complement for green or fruit salad. Adapted from a recipe by McCormick Canada 

This has been a mainstay at any number of restaurants for years, a dive-in dip that can be made ahead of time and heated for the appetizer moment. Invite one of your guests to pour the Champagne, while you uncork a big red for later. (And remember, the trick with Champagne: after you’re unwired the cork, covered it with a napkin and pointed the bottle in an innocent direction, hold the cork and twist the bottle.)

Recipe courtesy of Oster.

Read Kitchen Essentials -- Meringue for tips and tricks on how to prepare this simple, gourmet dessert.

Entrepreneuring foodie Linda Meinhardt, who built and operates two spectacular destination fine food emporiums on Vancouver’s West Side, has found a ready market in these busy times for meals to go — many which start their journey to the city’s dining tables from a hot table in her Arbutus Street store. More often than not, the hot-table items have a cultural edge, like this chicken dish created by chefs Neil Porter and Ashok Sethi. With rice, the refreshing recipe will serve four.

My BFFs are a wonderful group of women who meet regularly to eat, drink, talk and laugh together. One of the gang, Nancy B, is a vegetarian and an amazing cook. She makes cooking look effortless, especially when she whipped up a delicious frittata for us at our after-Christmas party. Nancy added sautéed zucchini and goat cheese to the frittata. This is my version — use whatever you have on hand to make your own!

Serve with roast meats and seafood.

This is an old family recipe that doubled as a Christmas pudding. You will note that it contains no plums. No, I don’t have the answer. As a surprise for the kids — and perhaps as an incentive for them to keep eating! — we used to wash up some nickels and dimes, wrap them in foil and add them to the final mix. In these inflationary times, you may wish to consider loonies and toonies!

The secret to this silky and light pound cake, courtesy of legourmettv , is the length of time you beat the butter.