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The holiday meal is often a time to flex your culinary muscles and impress guests with something a bit special. It’s also the time of year when we have firm favourites; dishes that it just wouldn’t be the holidays without. How do you decide? Tried and true, or experiment with something new? We threw down the gauntlet and Ron Vincent and son Zachary were willing to take on the challenge. Both chefs at Ron’s restaurant, Sea Glass Waterfront Grill, the pair squared off against each other with that essential turkeyRead More

by Tania Tomaszewska – “I don’t know the hosts (nor what they’re serving); what should I take?” or “We have all sorts of eaters coming over; what should we pour?” Ah, the perennial questions of the festive season. With the myriad of gatherings, flavours and traditions around us at this time of year, it might feel hard to to decide what to bring as your holiday cheer. There are no rules, but traditional wine and food pairing ideas can guide us. I like to follow some of the classics, but also likeRead More

I have been lucky to experience 65 Christmases in two very different continents, and although my eight steps may not necessarily lead to Christmas sanity, they might leave a few memories that could last longer than the wrapping paper round the presents. by Chris Cowland – A couple of years ago the famous English chef Nigella Lawson wrote an article in the London Telegraph entitled “Nigella’s 12 steps to Christmas Sanity.” She came up with some great suggestions, such as “Keep a pen and notepad in your kitchen,” and “ARead More

“In the event that you’re short on inspiration for Christmas gift-giving this year, I’ve put together some ideas made up of favourites from our home. Some are big, some are small; some are practical and some are thoughtful. All are from local stores and the kind staff at each one are there to serve you this shopping season.” Lara Gladych – SOMEONE YOU LOVE NEEDS THESE!Philips Nosetrimmer Series 3000 ($22.95), & Tweezerman Tweezers ($28.99)Don’t fret about the implication of giving these gifts – he’ll thank you for them once he’sRead More

by Janice Henshaw – What makes our living rooms special? Warm, inviting, and welcoming? Yes, yes, of course, it’s your charming and winsome personality! But is there anything better after the chilly blast of a winter walk by the sea than cuddling up on the couch in front of a blazing fire with your family, the one you love, or a really good book? OK, OK, forget about that trip to Hawaii for now – instead let’s talk fireplaces! Open fireplaces are high on the polluting list. They are quiteRead More