Pasta recipes

Sybil Carter's homemade barbecue sauce starts with bacon drippings and builds layers of tangy tomato, brown sugar sweetness, mustard bite, and hot pepper heat. Doubles easily and keeps in the fridge for weeks.

Pon pon chicken (bang bang chicken) shreds poached chicken over salted cucumber ribbons with a warm sesame-soy-ginger dressing. Classic Sichuan cold-plate appetizer or main.

Spicy cranberry chile chutney with jalapeño, Thai chili paste, and hot sauce simmered with fresh and dried cranberries. Medium heat, sweet-tart-spicy balance. Killer on meat or sandwiches.

A wonderful venison chili that's loaded with flavour.

Tom's Oysters Rockefeller: oysters baked under a rich green sauce of pureed spinach, scallion, celery, and parsley, seasoned with anchovy, anise, and Tabasco. The classic New Orleans baked oyster, done right.

Rich shrimp bisque built from sautéed shells, fish stock, brandy, paprika, heavy cream, and dry sherry. A classic French technique that extracts every ounce of shrimp flavor.

If you're having friends over, then don't hesitate to make this hearty dish made with succulent ham, smoked sausage and hot pepper sauce.

This tasty stew will reward you for the time it takes to make a proper roux, which add depth.

Spiced melon cocktail with honeydew balls, flaked crabmeat, and a tangy whipped cream-mayo dressing spiked with paprika, hot sauce, and Worcestershire. A retro dinner-party starter with coastal flair.

Spice-marinated pork simmered with butternut squash, chickpeas, and carrots in a warmly spiced broth with paprika, turmeric, and cumin. A hearty one-skillet dinner with North African flair.

Red snapper a la Mexicaine with seared fillets baked in fresh tomatoes and herbs, finished with a creamy avocado sauce spiked with lime and Tabasco. French-Mexican fusion at its finest.

Hearty Cajun corn soup loaded with smoked sausage, cubed ham, tomatoes, and corn kernels in a roux-thickened broth with cayenne and hot sauce. Feeds a crowd and simmers for an hour.

Open-faced pizza sandwiches made with a seasoned beef freezer mix, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and bubbly melted cheese on bread or hamburger buns. Ready in under 20 minutes from freezer to table.

Slow cooker venison chili loaded with kidney beans, mushrooms, jalapenos, barbecue sauce, and six cloves of garlic. Thick, spicy, and built for long cooking.

Spicy ground pork chili with kidney beans, diced tomatoes, red and green bell peppers, and triple heat from cayenne, red pepper flakes, and hot sauce.

Classic French tomato basil soup made from scratch with fresh Roma tomatoes and topped with sautéed fennel, zucchini, and mushrooms. A vegetarian potage that's rustic, fragrant, and deeply satisfying.