there’s no excuse not to make a special dish on st. valentine’s day with this coeur à la crème recipe - recipe: coeur à la crème

Let me start by stating that I can't believe I'm featuring a dessert recipe for Valentine's Day that doesn't involve chocolate. Although I adore, adore, adore chocolate, I find myself drawn towards vanilla, lemon or fruit-based desserts more and more often.

Lately, when I have a chocolate craving, I tend to enjoy a nice piece (or four) of solid milk chocolate.

I know, I know, true "gourmands" prefer the 70 per cent cocoa dark chocolate, but I can honestly say that I'm a milk-chocolate girl, no matter how hard my hubby tries to convince me to embrace the "dark side."

I first came across this recipe in Ina Garten's (a. k. a. the Barefoot Contessa) cookbook on Paris.

It looked fabulous and I made a mental note to try it one day. Recently, I was at Conestoga Mall and ventured into Gizmo's to take a peak at the latest and greatest kitchen gadgets — and wouldn't you know it, I found the heartshaped mold which (I thought) was required to make this dessert (and for a reasonable $10, no less). So it was a done deal — I had to buy it and knew what I'd be making my sweetheart for Valentine's Day.

I recently tested this recipe for my dad's birthday, and it received rave reviews.

I've adapted Garten's original recipe by omitting the seeds scraped from a vanilla bean (I didn't have any at home and it was a snowy day and didn't feel like going back to the store to get any).

Also, I didn't bother making the raspberry Grand Marnier sauce either, as I thought that some fresh berries would do the trick.

Garten's original recipe including the raspberry sauce can be found online at www.foodnetwork.com .

Lastly, I didn't realize until reading through the entire recipe that you can substitute a seven-inch sieve for the coeur (heartshaped) pan if you don't own one or don't want to buy one.

So, now there really are no excuses not to make this for that special someone.

Coeur à la Crème (which translated means "heart of cream")

ingredients

• 12 oz. plain cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups icing sugar
• 2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2-3 cups assorted mixed berries

method

• Place the softened cream cheese and the icing sugar into the bowl of stand mixer.
• Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium-high speed until well blended and soft.
• Scrape down the paddle attachment and the bowl with a rubber spatula and change the attachment to the wire balloon whisk attachment.
• Add the vanilla, lemon zest and half of the cream and beat until the mixture becomes thick like whipped cream.
• Add the remainder of the cream and beat again until the mixture looks like whipped cream.
• Line a coeur mold (heartshaped mold with holes at the bottom) or a seven-inch sieve with cheesecloth and pour in the cream mixture.
• Fold the ends of the cheesecloth over top of the mold or sieve. Suspend the mold or sieve over a bowl, making sure that there is space between the bottom of the mold/sieve and the bottom of the bowl so that any liquid can drain out.
• Refrigerate overnight.
• Discard the liquid, remove the crème from the mold and serve with fresh fruit (or fruit sauce, if desired).

quick tip

Don't have any cheesecloth to line the coeur mold or sieve? A few good quality thick paper towels will do just as good a job.

untraditional holidays help pass the winter season - recipe: crystal fold

I recently hosted an après-ski party for my family.

The best part of the party (for me at least) was that we didn't do the "avant" part — i. e. we didn't go skiing, we just enjoyed the food and company afterwards.

Allow me to explain — I grew up enjoying skiing with my family, but I'm more of a "spring skier" than anything else.

My dream as a child was to one day be the mom who managed to forgo skiing in the cold by staying warm back at the chalet, preparing appetizers and/or dinner for the evening.

An "après-ski-sans-ski" party came to mind one day and I thought, who cares if they think I'm crazy, I'm going to do it!

As you can see, I love any excuse to entertain family and/or friends. I'm even more drawn to finding reasons to bring loved ones together when the weather is cold and few can muster up the energy to do much or go anywhere (except for all of you skiers and snowbirds out there).

Accordingly, I like to always have a social event "in the works" to keep me inspired and to give me something to look forward to. I recently googled the word "celebration" and found a website ( www.brownielocks.com ) that lists thousands of "bizarre, crazy, silly, unknown holidays and observances" — i. e. reasons for us to celebrate!

Here are a few of my favourites to get you through the next few dreary weeks, along with some easy food ideas:

• Jan. 26 is the start of the Chinese New Year. I've never celebrated this before but there is a first time for everything, right?

Sometime this week, I'm going to make crystal fold — a mixture of ground pork and shredded vegetables in a hoisin-style sauce.

You wrap the pork mixture in iceberg lettuce leaves and then eat them like tacos. It's super easy, super tasty and I'm sure that the kids would love it too. See the recipe below.

• Feb. 1 is Super bowl Sunday.

I don't know anything about football — I've never even watched a full game — but I know what I'll be making that night for dinner: Greta and Janet Podleski's "lord of the wings" (a much healthier version of chicken wings — boneless, skinless chicken thighs, marinated in a honey garlic sauce and shaped to look like chicken wings — all served up with a reduced fat blue cheese dip).

Visit www.foodtv.ca for the recipe.

• Feb. 19 is national Chocolate Mint Day. I'm going to celebrate by eating one of Rheo Thompson Candies famous mint smoothie bars. Yum!

• Feb. 22 is Academy Awards night. (I'm already excited.) I've never been able to convince my hubby to watch with me, so it will likely be a party for one — I'm going to enjoy a glass or two of Prosecco (Italian sparkling wine) and some appetizers from the shop — possibly some cheese and a few ready-to-bake hors d'oeuvres.

My dear friend Nichole used to have an annual Oscars party for the girls (complete with costumes) but this party has fallen by the wayside now that we all have little ones. Maybe next year we'll co-host and bring it back?

• Feb. 26 is National Chili Day. To celebrate, I'm going to make white chicken chili, my brother's famous corn-bread (refer to my Nov. 19 article for the recipe) and a crisp green salad.

• Feb. 28 is Open That Bottle Night. Note to self — be sure to invite mom and dad over on this night as dad can always be counted on to bring over a great bottle of wine, no matter what the occasion.

• Lastly, Jan. 25 was my dad's birthday and I made the desserts.

Dad loves dessert so I spoiled him with two varieties: dark chocolate raspberry bomb and coeur a la creme, which translated means "heart of cream." Look for this recipe in my Feb. 11 article.

Happy birthday dad — I can think of no better reason to celebrate than by honouring you and your life.

Crystal Fold

makes 8 large wraps

ingredients

• 1 lb. ground pork
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup-1 cup hoisin sauce (use more if you like the mixture quite saucy)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soya sauce
• 1 1/2 cups grated carrot
• 1 can (8 oz.) sliced water chestnuts
• 1 cup grated daikon (Japanese radish which looks like a large white carrot — optional)
• 8 large lettuce leaves, washed and dried Cook pork (breaking up with spoon) over medium heat in a non-stick skillet until no longer pink.

method

• Add diced onion and cook for three-four minutes or until onion is soft and translucent. Drain off any fat.
• Add minced garlic and cook for one-two minutes until fragrant.
• Add hoisin sauce, soya sauce, grated carrot, water chestnuts and daikon (if using) and mix well to incorporate.
• Cook for another two minutes or until the mixture is hot.
• Divide pork mixture among lettuce leaves. Fold lettuce over filling and then roll up.

quick tip

President’s Choice now sells 227-gram packages of crispy lettuce wraps in the produce department that make this meal even easier to prepare. You could also top washed mixed greens or torn iceberg lettuce with the pork filling if you don’t want to roll the mixture into wraps.

clean eating for the new year with salmon & salad - recipe: Julie Garner's Brown Sugar Salmon recipe: Lynn Johnston's Maple Blue Cheese Salad

It's the beginning of a new year, so many of us are trying to eat "lighter" after the holidays. I'm not exactly known for my low-fat cooking (I prefer to take smaller portions of great tasting foods so that I don't have to deprive myself), but I must admit that I'm craving vegetables, salads and healthy proteins after indulging in my fair share of chocolate (and cookies and scones and potatoes and gravy, among other things).

My lovely "in-law-mother" Lynn (my brother's wife's mother) prepared an absolutely delicious salad for our annual Christmas Eve family get-together and I am so pleased that she passed along the recipe to me. This salad was one of the best I've ever tasted, and when paired with salmon, it makes a delicious, complete meal.

My dear friend, Julie Garner, makes a fabulous brown sugar salmon and she also agreed to share her recipe with me. Julie is one busy lady — she commutes daily to Toronto for work, is expecting her first baby next month, is married to a small-business owner — and yet still finds the time to cook and entertain often.

She has mastered creating delicious yet easy recipes, thus allowing herself more time with her guests.

When I called Julie to ask her for her recipe and for permission to mention her in the article, we got to chatting. She asked me what the theme of the article was and I replied, "healthy eating."

She chuckled (OK, she howled) and said, "Danes, Parmesan cheese, brown sugar, blue cheese, nuts and maple syrup — do you seriously consider this healthy?"

To which I replied (albeit defensively), "Yes — the main ingredients are mixed greens and salmon after all, and don't the leafy greens and vegetables cancel out the blue cheese, nuts and syrup?" Julie thought about it and then agreed — she classified this dish as "clean eating."

Julie Garner's Brown Sugar Salmon

ingredients

• four, five to six ounce skinless and boneless filets of salmon
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (for the best results, grate the Parmesan yourself, but if you're in a pinch, you can also used the pre-grated or jarred variety)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste

method

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Combine the Parmesan cheese and brown sugar together in a shallow bowl. Add freshly-cracked black pepper to taste (I like a lot).
• Coat all sides of salmon in the parmesan-sugar mixture and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet (pat any extra parmesan-sugar mixture on the tops of the salmon filets).
• Bake salmon for 12 to 15 minutes or until cooked to your liking.
• Serve on top of a mixed green salad (see below).

Lynn Johnston's Maple Blue Cheese Salad

When I make the dressing for this salad, I double the below (original) recipe because I love to have homemade salad dressing on hand in the fridge — then there is never an excuse not to eat your greens.

The recipe below makes a generous half cup of dressing (the doubled recipe makes a little over one cup).

This recipe was adapted from Cottage Life magazine — it was a contest winner in 2004.

ingredients

• 1/4 cup good quality olive oil
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 tablespoon of fresh oregano)

method

• Place all of the dressing ingredients into a 500-millilitre mason jar (see tip below) and shake until well blended.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired.
• To finish, toss mixed salad greens with desired amount of dressing and fresh vegetables and/or fruit.
• Top each portion of salad with a filet of brown sugar salmon.

Note: The original salad recipe calls for green onions, cherry tomatoes, English cucumber, pecans and crumbled blue cheese.

When I made it, I added some sliced blood oranges and substituted walnuts for the pecans (walnuts are an amazing source of omega 3 fats and I recently read that eating plenty of these can increase your baby's IQ by as much as 10 points).

Lynn serves the blue cheese on the side, as not everyone likes it (more for me, I say). If you want, you can also substitute a tangy chévre or feta for the blue cheese.

quick tip

Lynn brought the salad dressing in a small mason jar, which is such a fantastic idea. If it separates, all you need to do is give it a quick shake. No risk of leakage either, so it's perfect for potlucks. I also discovered that this is the easiest way to make dressing with a fussy eight-month-old on your hip. Especially if he is teething and wants to put everything in his mouth, including a whisk.

ringing in the new year with cheese fondue - recipe: cheese fondue

I revel in traditions. Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, spring, summer, winter and fall.

Just ask my husband, who silently shakes his head and smiles (or is he grimacing?) at all of the customs that I've instituted since our son John was born this past May.

David still can't quite understand why I insisted on taking John with me for my/our first trip (of many many more to come) to Herrles for fresh produce, to pick out a perfect pumpkin at Shantzholm pumpkins for Halloween, or to Martin's Family Fruit farm for a taste of fall's first apples.

Last year I convinced my hubby and parents to start an annual New Year's Eve Fondue Night.

What can I say, they felt sorry for me.

I was pregnant, and craving bread and cheese 24/7!

We made a delicious cheese fondue (we didn't bother with a meat fondue — albeit delicious, they can get messy with all of that hot oil).

We served it with cubes of crusty baguette and steamed vegetables.

To appease my husband, I included a generous portion of grilled steak on the side.

(If you read this column regularly, you'll remember that my mother is all about moderation, hence the vegetables, and my husband David really likes his protein, hence the steak.)

As I'm typing this I'm realizing that all of my traditions involve food.

Is that bad?

I guess I'll have to get busy in the new year creating some traditions that involve crafts or exercise or music or anything non-epicurean!

Anyway, below is a recipe for a traditional cheese fondue.

This is a super easy and delicious version.

And the credit goes to good old Martha.

Cheese Fondue

Serves Eight to 10 (Or one pregnant woman and three additional adults)

ingredients

• 1 clove garlic, halved crosswise
• 1 1/3 cups dry white wine
• 8 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (about 3 cups)
• 8 ounces Emmenthal cheese, grated (about 3 cups)
• 8 ounces raclette cheese, grated (about 3 cups)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• Freshly grated nutmeg, optional
• 1 loaf baguette, cut into one-inch cubes
• Assorted (lightly steamed or raw) vegetables, such as mushrooms, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower and/or pickled onions and cooked, cubed potatoes)

method

• Rub inside of a fondue pot with garlic clove.
• Discard garlic.
• Pour wine into a saucepan and place over medium-low heat.
• When liquid starts to bubble, start adding cheeses by the handful.
• Stir the cheese until it’s melted and combined.
• Whisk together lemon juice and cornstarch in a small bowl until cornstarch dissolves.
• Then stir those ingredients into the cheese mixture.
• Continue stirring until mixture is smooth and bubbling slightly, about five minutes.
• Season with nutmeg, if desired.
• Transfer the cheese mixture to a fondue pot and keep warm over the fondue pot warmer.
• Serve with bread and/or vegetables.

Enjoy this cheese fondue recipe, and have a happy new year.

quick tip

Have you heard of or eaten at the U. S. restaurant chain, the Melting Pot?

Each table has a built-in fondue type "pot" and their menu consists solely of cheese, meat and chocolate fondues (they offer unique varieties of each).

An idea from their dessert fondue menu: for a little extra kick, try adding your favourite liqueur (such as Baileys, Cointreau/Grand Marnier, Chambord/Framboise or Tia Maria) to your chocolate fondue.

Yum!

I really hope that they expand their franchise into Canada sometime soon.

delicious appetizers not as difficult to make as many amateur chefs think - recipes: various easy appetizers

I truly enjoy chatting with my customers and often find myself offering advice to help them sort out their culinary and entertaining troubles.

By far, the most popular dilemma this time of year is what to serve as an appetizer. I hear (almost daily) "I love making the main course but I hate making the appetizers."

Relax, there is no need to worry — below are several easy, delicious appetizer ideas to draw on when time is of the essence (which is definitely the case for me these days as a busy new mom, caterer and food-shop owner in the middle of what we call our "crazy season").

Accordingly, this column is a tad "shortter" than usual.

I wish you all a very happy holiday season filled with good friends, good family and great food. Season's eatings!

Easy appetizer ideas:

• Take some regular or Grissini breadsticks (which are longer and thinner than regular breadsticks) and coat 1/3 of the breadstick with a herb-flavoured room temperature cream cheese.

Wrap thinly sliced smoked salmon around the cream cheese portion of the breadstick.

Alternatively, spread the breadstick with mascarpone cheese (a triple-cream spreadable cheese from Italy, often used in tiramisu) and wrap with thin slices of prosciutto.

• Marinate olives (green or black, large or small, pitted or not — whatever you have on hand or enjoy most) in a bit of olive oil with chili flakes, a splash of vinegar, the zest of a small orange and pinch of sugar.

Bake them on a baking sheet in a 350-degree F oven until warm — about 11-14 minutes. Delicious served on their own or served with good-quality feta and fresh bread.

• Take a tip from Dana Shortt Gourmet's executive chef, Mark Saraiva, and wrap a log of goat cheese (you can use a plain, herb or dried fruit variety) in strips of bacon that have been already partially cooked (do not use raw bacon).

Bake in a 375-degree F oven until bacon is slightl crisp and cheese is hot— about 15-20 minutes. Serve with crackers and/or fresh bread.

• Cut an English cucumber into one-inch pieces. Scoop out the seeds with a melon baller or grapefruit spoon to form a little "cup."

Make your own mini Greek salads by stuffing the cucumber cup with crumbled feta, a half-sliced grape tomato and a half-sliced or very small (pitted) olive. Garnish with a sprig of fresh oregano.

For an even easier version, stuff the cup with good-quality store-bought olive tapenade and top with a crumbling of feta cheese or goat cheese.

• Seriously, who has the time to make fondue on the busy days leading up to Christmas Day? Make a "cheaters fondue" — take a round loaf of bread (sourdough is great) and slice off the top of the loaf, a quarter of the way down.

Cut the top into small cubes. Remove enough of the interior bread to fit a 4-inch wheel of brie or camembert inside.

Wrap foil around the bread (leave the cheese exposed) and bake in a 450-degree F oven for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

If you like crusty bread, remove the foil after eight minutes or so. Serve a little chutney or pepper jelly on the side if desired.

• Wrap plump, pitted medjool dates in a half strip of bacon and bake in a 375-degree F oven until bacon is crispy, about 20 minutes. If you have a few extra minutes to spare, stuff each medjool date with goat cheese, cream cheese or mascarpone cheese and a nut (pecan, almond or date) before wrapping in bacon.

The sweet date and salty bacon (and creamy cheese, if added) really works well.

For additional easy appetizer ideas (Swedish nuts, cheese plates and more) search for my earlier columns. Or, you can try the "news" page (for my newsletters) and/or the "recipe" page of my website at www.danashortt.ca .

presentation tips

Presentation is key — always remember that people eat with their eyes first. Look no further than your own china cabinet for interesting vessels and stemware to present your hors d’oeuvres.

For instance, the wrapped breadstick appetizers look superb displayed in a brandy sniffer or pilsner glass (or any other funky stemware that you have on hand).

The bacon-wrapped goat cheese looks fantastic displayed on a bed of fresh herbs (thyme or rosemary work well as they don’t wilt from the heat) on a wooden cutting board, surrounded with a scattering of plain or candied nuts, some dried fruit and crackers.

shorttbread recipe that's sure to delight foodies - recipe: whipped shorttbread

Over the last few years (at least in North America), the usage of the term "foodie" has certainly become more and more prevalent. A couple of weeks ago, I was asked to explain just what the term meant to me.

After a quick Internet search for a good definition of "foodie" as well as related terms — such as gourmand, gourmet and epicure — I decided it would be a more enjoyable exercise to take the time to reflect on my food memories and experiences in order to come up with a list of foodie lookfors.

It was a lot of fun. For a bit of fun for yourself, go ahead and rate how much of a foodie you are — see how many of the following points you can identify with. To me, a "foodie" is one who:

• is more concerned about who wins the current season of Top Chef than best actress/actor at the Academy Awards.

• always has "food on the brain” (one is intrinsically a foodie — it can neither be feigned nor forced — most "foodies" have always been devoted to and delighted by food, even as children).

• wants to know where their food comes from, how it is made and, therefore, why it tastes better.

• enthusiastically discusses the details of the upcoming dinner while still enjoying lunch.

• cooks for love and takes great pleasure in preparing meals for others.

• plans vacation destinations not for the best beaches, shopping or golf courses, but for the best restaurants, food shops and wine bars.

• owns a personal copy of the following movies: Babette's Feast, Big Night and Like Water for Chocolate.

• waits in eager anticipation for the Wednesday paper in order to read the food section.

• would never be satisfied with a bowl of cereal or a bag of microwave popcorn for dinner, no matter how harried or stressed the day.

• can name a restaurant in any given major city that they are just dying to try out.

• has at least one file folder filled with newspaper and magazine clippings of recipes that they have great intentions of making one day.

• includes www.epicurious.com as one of the first five bookmarks/favourites on their web browser.

• always has the latest copy of the LCBO's Food & Drink magazine handy.

• seriously intends to write a cookbook, if only a collection of family recipes to be passed down as an heirloom.

• appreciates the value in spending the time to plan, shop for and create a special meal, snack, drink or dessert even though the experience of eating it might be over in minutes.

• owns a multitude of kitchen appliances and gadgets, recalling where each came from and knowing what each particularly is best suited for.

• appreciates all food — whether a simple omelet or a five-course feast — just as long as it is prepared properly.

• has an uncanny memory for the minutiae of past meals — and can accordingly vividly remember his/her first taste of kiwi fruit, first Thai food experience and first taste of goat cheese.

• will pick up a non-food magazine (Instyle, Coastal Living or O) in a doctor's waiting room and immediately flip to the table of contents to scan for any article related to food or entertaining.

• has purchased the movie Ratatouille for the child they haven't yet conceived.

• has a host of "signature" recipes that they love preparing and sharing (a foodie often starts planning what they are going to make for their holiday "gourmet gifts from the kitchen" in July).

At the shop, we sell loads of shortbread, especially at this time of the year.

Here is a recipe for my signature whipped shorttbread. They are very light and tender so be forewarned — they are quite fragile.

We no longer sell this particular variety of shortbread at the store because we found that packaging them into bags caused too much breakage and crumbling.

Called Shorttbread, this recipe makes a beautiful (not to mention delicious) hostess gift. Be sure to package your cookies into sturdy vessels like biscuit tins or ceramic dishes to prevent any breakage.

Signature Whipped Shorttbread

ingredients

• 1 lb. salted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

method

• Cream butter in a stand mixer on medium speed (or use hand mixer) until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract.
• Sift dry ingredients twice. Add dry ingredients slowly to the butter-vanilla mixture (in about three additions). Chill dough in fridge.
• Roll into one-inch diameter balls on parchment-lined baking sheet and press to slightly flatten with the tines of fork.
• Bake for about 22-30 minutes in a 300-degree F oven.
• Makes about 25 Shorttbread cookies.

quick tip

I almost always bake (and cook) with unsalted butter, however, this recipe calls for salted butter. For best results, please do not substitute the unsalted variety.

some dishes are worth extra effort - recipe: savoury cornbread recipe: cheater's pulled pork tenderloin

My brother, Adam, is a fabulous cook. He could easily earn his living in the kitchen. I've tried on several occasions to persuade him to come and work with me, but his answer is always the same, "Dane, I cook as a hobby and for love, not as a business."

When Adam is interested in doing something, he does it right. In order to enjoy a better cup of coffee, many of us go through the effort of grinding the beans just before brewing. Adam, however, takes it a step further: he roasts the raw green beans himself (where do you even buy raw coffee beans?).

He makes wine — not from a kit, but by crushing grapes in his garage! The guys in his winemaking club rightfully insist that you can't make a Ferrari out of Volkswagen parts.

So, as serious as he is about his coffee roasting and wine making (among other things), he is just (if not more) serious about making good quality food from scratch.

You'll soon appreciate why I'm sincerely disappointed when I have to miss one of Adam's renowned family dinners. I had a difficult time narrowing down the list, but here are some examples:

• While he was still a high-school student, Adam prepared a barbecue brisket that required love and attention for about 36 hours. On top of that, he also made homemade barbecue sauce, baked beans, coleslaw and double stuffed baked potatoes (yes, I have a good memory for meals I've eaten).
• Handmade pastas (no pasta machine either — just an old rolling pin).
• Artisan pizzas (we bought him a pizza stone one year because he knew this would result in a better crust) — and you guessed it, he makes his own dough and amazing sauce from scratch.
• He even makes his own cheese in a small shed in the backyard (just kidding, but who knows what the future holds).
• Incredible Roast Chicken with all the fixings.
  He and his lovely wife, Michelle, prepared this for David and me this past Thanksgiving — they served it with "browned butter" mashed potatoes, squash, parsnips and carrots.
• His famous chili — and he never forgets the essential accompaniments — grated extra old cheddar cheese, full-fat sour cream, fresh salsa, chopped cilantro and corn chips.
• Pulled pork with cornbread — this is definitely one of my favourites. Although, as you can see, it is definitely difficult to choose.

Adam prepares his pulled pork in a traditional manner which can demand hours of attention.

I love the taste and texture of the meat but don't always have the time to devote to making it, as this typically involves making a dry spice rub, "mopping" the meat with a basting sauce every hour or two, soaking and replenishing wood chips, you get the idea).

I've created a super-easy way to have a similar taste and texture with a lot less work.

The secret to tender meat (even if you use inexpensive, tougher cuts) is cooking it "slow and low" (slow meaning that you cook it for a long time, low meaning that you cook it in a low temperature oven).

I've nicknamed it "cheater's pulled pork tenderloin."

It's hardly a recipe, but here goes.

cheater's pulled pork tenderloin

• Take two trimmed pork tenderloins and put them in an oven-safe baking dish.
• Top with about a cup of your favourite barbecue sauce.
• Secure dish with a tight-fitting lid. Bake in a 200-225 degree F oven for five or more hours. (I just put it in the oven in the morning and leave it there until mid to late afternoon).
• After it is finished cooking, pull the pork with a few forks (it will "pull" apart very easily) and let it sit in the barbecue sauce (it won't be as thick) to soak up the juices and flavour.
• That's it. Serve it with cornbread (or store-bought rolls if you're in a hurry) and a salad.

Below is my brother's famous cornbread recipe, adapted from Christine Cushing's recipe.

Savoury Cornbread - serves six to eight wedges

ingredients

• 1 1/2 sticks, or 12 tablespoons, of unsalted butter, divided
• 1 leek, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
• 1/2 cup minced red onion
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs — such as chives, parsley or cilantro (or you can use a mix)
• 1 cup corn kernels (fresh from the cob, canned or frozen)
• 1 1/4 cups shredded extra old cheddar cheese, divided

method

• In a medium saucepan heat two tablespoons of the butter over low heat. Add leek and minced red onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until leeks and onions are very soft and just starting to turn golden, about 15 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
• Place one tablespoon of the butter in an eight or nine-inch cast iron skillet (or use an aluminum cake pan) and heat in oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in the cornmeal.
• Melt the remaining butter in another bowl and whisk in the eggs and buttermilk. Pour the wet buttermilk mixture into flour-cornmeal mixture. Add the leek-onion mixture, fresh herbs, corn and three-quarter cup of the cheese. Stir with a wooden spoon until just combined and some flour remains visible.
• Do not over mix.
• Swirl hot pan to coat with butter. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until tester inserted in centre comes out clean and edges are crispy and golden. Let cool in pan on rack for five minutes. Serve hot or warm.

quick tip

This pulled pork "recipe" also works well with pork chops or inexpensive, tough cuts of meat. Feel free to experiment with the sauces that you use as well. You know all of those half-empty jars of chutneys or cheese accompaniments in your fridge that you're not sure what to do with? Throw them in.

make it cheese please - recipe: swedish nuts

It's hard to believe, but the holidays are just around the corner.

I know from my own experience in the specialty food business that people are always looking for easy appetizer ideas to serve a crowd.

Cheese platters are a fantastic option as they do not require cooking and can be assembled in minutes.

Thinking back, cheese was definitely the appetizer of choice when my parents were entertaining. I can still hear my mother saying "save room for dinner."

Of course, she had good reason — I have to admit that there were more than a few occasions when I sat down for dinner already full from cheese.

Here are some tips on how to create a beautiful, balanced cheese platter:

• Use a selection of different cheeses (a minimum of three) — the best platters will include at least one hard, sharp cheese (such as cheddar), a soft, creamy cheese (such as brie) and a pungent cheese (such as blue).

• Try to choose cheeses from different animals.

For instance, try a sheep's milk cheese like Spanish manchego (a hard and sharp cheese) or French Roquefort (a semi-hard blue cheese); a cow's milk cheese like St. Andre (a soft and creamy triple-cream brie) or Swiss Gruyere (slightly sweet and salty hard yellow cheese) and a goat's milk cheese like Greek Halloumi (an amazing grilling cheese that tastes similar to mozzarella, though saltier) or Canadian chevre like Woolwich Dairy (try one of their spreadable herb or fruit crusted chevrai logs).

• If possible, opt for different coloured cheeses to ensure the most attractive presentation.

• Serve your cheeses with fresh or dried fruits, roasted or candied nuts, fresh bread and crackers (oops — I almost forgot the wine).

• Adorn the platters with fresh lime leafs or banana leaves (tuck underneath cheeses) for a stunning presentation. Both can be found at the New City Chinese Supermarket on King Street in Kitchener (beside the old OW Sports store).

• Use a wooden cutting board if you want a rustic look and feel. For a modern, elegant approach, plain white ceramic platters are best.

• Garnish the platter with beautiful fresh fruit like champagne grapes, figs, strawberries, kumquats, prickly pears and/or Chinese gooseberries. Specialty fruits can be found more readily during the holidays (although large "super-centre" grocery stores tend to carry exotic and tropical fruits all year).

• Hard cheeses like cheddar and manchego can share a knife but soft cheeses like brie and chevre should have their own knives so that their flavours do not intermingle.

• For the best flavour, always serve cheese at room temperature (assemble cheese platters about one hour ahead of time). Keep in mind that hard cheeses take longer to come to room temperature than soft cheeses.

• Plan on serving about one ounce per person of each cheese for an appetizer-sized portion. You may need to serve a little bit more per person if you are serving a cheese course.

Along with fruit and interesting crackers and flatbreads, I like to serve cheese with toasted or candied nuts.

"Swedish nuts" are perfect on a cheese platter, and make a delicious hostess gift.

This recipe is courtesy of Ruth Bricker, a good family friend (like a second mother, really) who serves these delicious nuts throughout the holidays. Mom obtained the recipe many years ago and now they're a Christmas staple at our house too.

Ruth Bricker's Swedish Nuts

ingredients

• 1/2 lb. blanched almonds
• 1/2 lb. walnuts or pecan halves dash of salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 egg whites, stiffly beaten
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter

method

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Toast the nuts in the oven until light brown, about eight-12 minutes. Stiffly beat two egg whites.
• Fold sugar and salt into the stiffly beaten egg whites and beat again until stiff peaks form.
• Fold nuts into the sugar-egg white (meringue) mixture.
• Melt butter on a cookie sheet with sides (or use broiler pan) and spread the nut mixture on top.
• Bake for 30 minutes at 325 degrees F. Stir every 10 minutes until nuts are covered with coating and are light brown and no butter remains.