Ajo blanco, a white version of gazpacho, is believed to have originated with the Moors. If you’d like a smoother texture, try soaking the blanched almonds in milk before processing.

Serve with cherry or plum dipping sauce. Adapted from a VH Sauces recipe.

This takes forever to make, but man, is it good!

Recipe courtesy of www.pc.ca .

Executive Chef Jason Lloyd of the revitalized Terminal City Club in Vancouver served this dish at a recent winemakers’ dinner. It was delicious. Caramelized onions, with fresh thyme, butter and a touch of Noble Sour — a sippable vinegar of very low acidity — were layered on a puff-pastry shell with grilled pear slices. This was served with a small salad of baby greens tossed in a wild-mushroom vinaigrette, garnished with a quenelle of Devon cream and a drizzle of fresh chive oil, and paired well with Crowsnest Vineyard’s Chardonnay Stahltank 2004 Family Reserve.

I have been a paté freak ever since earlier writing times, when I would sit at the bar at Thursday’s in Montréal with a loaf of it, a jar of small, sweet gherkins and a red (probably plum) sauce. Whether or not there was bread, I can't remember. But it was a coarse paté; you could see the lumps and taste masses of herbs and tonnes of garlic. You don't forget things like that, especially in the first twelve or so hours! This recipe calls on several others, but ended up being mostly my own. I use frozen livers, and just before they thaw, cut them up like red ice cubes. It's less yucky than having a great glob of fresh meat!

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).

This is the classic recipe that's typically used to make profiteroles (cream puffs) and croquembouche. 

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

Somewhere in the back of your cupboard you have a can of crabmeat. Tonight’s the night. Lemon wedges and hot pepper sauce are the ideal condiments, with steamed green beans and potato salad to round out the meal. Or whatever you have. 

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).

Take advantage of fall’s bounty with these vegetarian stacks topped off with bubbly cheese. It may seem time-consuming to create “Napoleons” but they stack up in a snap. Try to find an eggplant and tomatoes of approximately the same circumference.

In India, a chat is a snack, an appetizer or a light salad.

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.

This popular Italian rice dish has infinite variations. If you’re short on time, make this risotto a day or two ahead of when you need it. It can be reheated in the oven in just a few minutes.

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 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.

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.

You can substitute any kind of meat in this recipe. Make the patties large enough to fit a hamburger bun, small enough to be bite-sized hors d'ouvres or shape them around a skewer as perfect picnic fare.

You can also turn this appetizer into an entrée. Butterfly chicken breasts, spread the stuffing over the cut surface, and secure the edges with a toothpick. Or, de-bone chicken legs and stuff the cavity, again securing the leg with a toothpick. When buying the ingredients, make sure that you go home with more mushrooms than you think you might need. Some will undoubtedly break when the stems are removed. This recipe has been adapted from the California Culinary Academy.

This salad is a treat for your taste buds. Add it to a sandwich, or serve as is with steak. The amount can easily be doubled or tripled with fantastic results.

Have you tried wasabi yet? Neither had I. Here’s an easy way to introduce it to your family as an appetizer.

This recipe is courtesy of La Fontaine de Bernn snail farm.

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.

Tamotsu’s recipe involves store-bought mix. This option is easier except for one drawback: the instructions will be in Japanese. Following is a from-scratch recipe from Setsuko Yoshizuka from About.com.

You can replace the beef with pork if you'd like. Or try other vegetables such as mushrooms and eggplant. Recipe courtesy of McCormick Canada.

Feel free to substitute your favourite type of pear in this exotic combination.

Serve strawberries warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.