January brings to mind two Canadian delicacies that, when paired together, create a culinary experience unlike any other – lobster and Icewine. This month we are celebrating all things Icewine. While lobster season is more than a few months away, it is the perfect time to stock up on tails, as they are a great buy after the holidays. It is also possible that you might have some Icewine lingering after entertaining this season as it is largely enjoyed on special occasions.

It is hard to believe it has been 30 years. I would have been 19 at the time I attended the first annual Cuvée Tasting. It was a new concept, a celebration of Ontario winemaking. A one-of-a-kind event at the time, where you could not only taste the wines, but meet the winemakers. I did wonder however what the fuss was all about. I mean why would anyone care so much to meet my dad?

I somehow feel badly that I have never been a big fan of the squash family as I have had a bit of a love affair with veggies for most of my life. At a young age, I recall being more concerned with the remains in the salad bowl than any sweets being offered for dessert. And almost any vegetable was game in our house to be prepared as a salad. No lettuce leaf, bean, cucumber, potato, beet, cabbage or even broccoli floret was safe from being dressed with a homemade vinaigrette.

It’s less than a month away and the anticipation and excitement is building. Ontario’s annual wine celebration, Cuvée, originally dubbed the ‘Oscars’ and the “who’s who” of the wine industry, all in one room. Fast forward 27 years and you still have THE coolest wine event of the year. Winemakers personally reveal their favourite wine of the vintage, celebrity chefs showcase their signature dishes and a sparkling and Icewine bar cap off the after-party.

Yes I love to ski, much to the annoyance of my friends when I exclaim how excited I am that it will snow on the weekend, but this year, it was hard for me to love winter as temperatures dipped below a comfortable ski zone. But while I am beginning to think fresh vegetables and the bright colours of spring, in one last nod to winter I must acknowledge that I am sad to say adieu to favoured winter flavours that warm me from the inside out. Yes those comfort foods.

My daughter Madison was fortunate enough to be able to travel to Europe with her school in March of this year and since her return has been dreaming of Ladurée macarons. Since that fateful day we have been on the hunt for the perfect macaron, pronounced mah-kah-ROHN and not to be confused with macaroons. My investigation showing that this confusion happens all the time as these distant cookie cousins have a shared past. Unquestionably however there is something more than an extra ‘o’ that makes these two cookies so different.

One of my favourite ways to cook salmon in the fall is on a soaked cedar plank – the rich smoky flavours somehow seem fitting to the cooler weather. It’s also a great staple recipe to serve a crowd and wow your guests when presenting a whole side.

Although using a cedar plank is now a popular technique for grilling, it was quite a novelty in the early 90’s. In my past life as a restaurateur, I can recall the puzzled questions when I would place my order for one hundred, eight inch slates of untreated cedar at my local hardware store. We would soak the wood overnight in water and then serve on the plank with a blended cream cheese and horseradish. An unusual combination but remarkably delicious!

I always assumed my pickles were tasty but it wasn’t until this country girl ventured up to the big city for a ‘Pickle Smackdown’ at The Drake that it was confirmed with a first place win beating out ‘the’ chef Michael Smith’s pickled goods. It was a shining moment in my culinary career, only slightly overshadowed by the fact that early that morning, in the wee hours, my sister had decided that we should enter our pickles as a pair. She had aptly marked both jars ‘Kaiser Sister’ pickles while I was upstairs grabbing my coat for our outing.

Some of my favourite summer memories are of the big cook outs my Dad used to have for the neighbourhood; living in the country the neighbours were really anyone within a few kilometre radius. My father is famous in these parts for his chicken rub which has clad not only your average bird but on a few occasions, a turkey or two. Those hens would be lined up on a local farmer’s outdoor rotisserie unit, customized to fit about 20 birds. Most of us couldn’t resist but to check in periodically to see how close they were to being done, in anticipation of the crispy salty bites of skin, fresh and hot off the coals. The flavour of the outdoor rotisserie chicken in combination with his secret spice was something to not only taste but dream about.

My Dad used to always say “Your Mom makes the best soup” and coming from my Dad that was a huge compliment. He took as much pride in cooking as he did in the wines that he made. It wasn’t until recently that it occurred to me that my dad was a ‘foodie’ way before his time. In our house, it was always about having great ingredients and of course, great flavour.

Stepping onto the red carpet for the annual Cuvée Gala, it feels like coming home. Friendly faces fill the room and the Ontario wine ‘family’ is here to kick off a weekend dedicated to the celebration of their craft. It is much like a reunion for many and for others a new experience being welcomed into the brood.

One of the most widely planted grapes, easy to grow and extremely malleable, Chardonnay, the ‘son’ of Pinot Noir has been the good son. So how did it come to be that there was an entire movement against this friendly and accommodating grape? The ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) movement started just over a decade ago primarily due to a flush of over-oaked Chardonnays in the marketplace but this resilient grape continues to fight its way back into the hearts of wine lovers

Originally intended as a way to preserve meats before the advent of refrigeration, Charcuterie (pronounced shar-COO-ta-ree), is making a resurgence on local menus for the flavours and textures derived from the preservation process. It has become more of an art, no longer driven by necessity but rather an expression of each chef’s talents and personality.

‘Moules’ or Mussels have been enjoyed by humans for thousands of years with about seventeen edible species available to enjoy; the most popular being the widely farmed Blue Mussel. There are however many questions or ‘rules’ that surround the consumption of mussels, when to enjoy, what to do with unopened mussels and with what wine?