Food and Drink

The first time I had to test a recipe for steamed fish was back in the '80s, when I was working in the test kitchen at Gourmet magazine. And truthfully, the very idea seemed preposterous. Steaming anything over water had always struck me as boring.

If ever a food needed a brand overhaul, it is salt cod. Because nothing about that name inspires cravings. It actually sounds like something you spread on an icy walkway to keep people from slipping.

TORONTO - A New Year's Eve spread can mean many different culinary flavours and textures, which can leave hosts who want to provide the perfect pairing of wine and food scratching their heads in puzzlement.

Time is running short for special holiday dinners, so I made this one effortlessly delicious to help you squeeze it in.

Wild boar — a tasty way to do a good deed. It's true. Across at least 39 states there are an estimated 4 million feral pigs and wild boars (they are close relatives and prone to interbreeding) roaming about.

TORONTO - When it comes to food, everyone is always looking for the next hot thing to try.

When it comes to entertaining, I often find that the casual gatherings and impromptu parties outshine more elaborate affairs. I think it's the combination of a relaxed atmosphere and last minute inspiration.

Most Americans never will sip the watermelon margarita at Guy Fieri's behemoth Times Square restaurant, nor savour the chicken Alfredo at the Olive Garden in Grand Forks, N.D.

Whenever I have too little time and too few ingredients on hand — or when I've been eating too much meat — I cook up some broccoli pasta.

TORONTO - When veteran foodies Rose Murray and Elizabeth Baird invited Canadians who are passionate about food to send in their best-loved recipe, they were amazed at the variety and touched by the stories that flooded in.