Kay Spicer's Chicken Soup

Kay Spicer, food writer and author of the cookbook Light & Easy Choices (Grosvenor House Press Inc., 1985), has three grown-up children who each have a different favourite dish. Son Bob goes for scalloped potatoes baked with pork chops, a dish that harks back to his mom's Prairie roots. Daughter Patti says rice pudding is her favourite ("no contest,"), and home economist daughter Susan Spicer Angrove opts for chicken soup, saying, "We all used to beg her for chicken soup." Fresh-tasting and tomatoey, it's a memory-making soup.

Lemon-Rubbed Roast Chicken

Cushing's mom loves the flavours of lemon and thyme in this dish. “My mom adores how supercrispy and lemony the chicken skin gets,” says Cushing. “She always snatches the skin from other people's plates.” Serve with steamed bitter greens, such as rapini or dandelion, drizzled with olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon. As an alternative accompaniment, serve whole grain bread or long-grain rice. “I prefer white basmati, but my mom always asks for brown,” she explains. “Either would work perfectly.”

Maple Syrup Pork Ribs

My family is very fortunate to have a "sugar bush" in Northern Ontario, where we make our own maple syrup every spring. As a result, it is usually plentiful so we use it pretty much everyday in baking and cooking. We think that everything tastes better with maple syrup! I serve the ribs with a side of long-grain brown and Canadian wild rice blend that I make up (3/4 brown to 1/4 wild), oven roasted squash and steamed green beans with toasted walnuts. Tip: this is a terrific recipe to make earlier in the day (up to the point of cooking it for one hour). Just cover the baking dish with foil and keep refrigerated until ready, then you can visit with your guests while it bakes. I also put the rice on at that time as it takes an hour to steam and the squash can go right in the oven, at the same time and temperature as the ribs as well. You just have to steam the beans for the last few minutes before the meal. I have been making this recipe for over eighteen years and everyone of every age loves it.

Western Chicken with a Kick

In my house we eat a lot of chicken. It tastes great, versatile and everyone loves it! My husband loves salsa and we always have lots on hand so one day when I was experimenting in the kitchen I thought I would try and make some salsa to go over the chicken I was making for dinner. I figured if chicken and salsa went together in Mexican food it would work great and with a little cheese on top it was a hit! I serve mine with Spanish or Jambalaya rice and fresh steamed vegetables.

Lemongrass Pork Tenderloin With Stir-Fried Quinoa

White rice and fatty pork chops are replaced with protein-packed quinoa and lean pork tenderloin in this twist on a Vietnamese favourite. Daikon radish has a very pungent aroma, but its crunchy sweetness works well when pickled. If it's not your thing, you can substitute the same amount of carrot. This recipe is a great way to use up leftover quinoa; if you don't have any on hand, make it ahead and spread it out on a large rimmed baking sheet to cool quickly.

Stir-Fried Thai Chicken with Cashews and Basil

Serve with: Rice and an oriental green vegetable, such as Chinese broccoli, snow peas or bok choy In Thailand many kinds of meat and seafood are stir-fried simply with chilies and aromatic Thai basil, but Italian basil makes a fine substitute. In Thailand this dish is usually fiery hot with chilies; we have tamed it here, but you can adjust it to your own taste. If raw cashews are unavailable, use roasted cashews and omit the skillet-toasting; add to pan 1 minute before sugar and lime juice.

Thai Tofu and Squash Curry

A vegan dish is one that contains no animal products, and this curry is a full-flavoured example of the genre. Squash and red pepper provide brilliant colour and textural contrast to firm tofu in this one-pot dish. We use firm tofu in stews because it holds its shape well when stirred. If you aren't into fiery foods, you can use Thai Kitchen red curry paste (which we find milder than other brands), reduce the amount or use mild Indian curry paste. Serve over rice or noodles.

Linda's Home-Style Baked Macaroni

Baked macaroni is one of our Sunday dishes that we serve with stewed chicken or beef, rice, stewed red beans and potato salad. This will stick to your bones and you won't be hungry too quickly thereafter. Baked macaroni is definitely a tasty comfort food that all ages will love. Best served hot and leftovers are just as good. For those who are lactose intolerant, omit the can of evaporated milk and substitute with 1/2 cup of chicken broth. You must also increase the amount of breadcrumbs by 1/4 cup. Don't use too much broth as the mixture will not bind together. Any Canadian marbled cheese and parmesan cheese can be used.

Porto-Style Tripe

Citizens of Porto are known throughout Portugal (and, indeed, Europe) as “tripe eaters.” Porto was home to the Portuguese navy and, for most of the 18th century, an important port for the British navy. Porto supplied the ships with huge quantities of salt beef, leaving the city with only the trimmings and innards, which evolved into this famous dish. The ingredient list might look daunting, but it's actually easy to prepare – it just requires lots of time and lots of pots. You can simplify it by eliminating some of the traditional meat ingredients. You can also substitute the calf's or cow's foot with veal shank. Tripe lovers will probably want to increase the tripe by up to double the amount. Porto-Style Tripe is always served with white rice.

Salmon & Avocado Maki Fresh Rolls