Melanie Hunter

Trying to convince my brother-in-law that making a barbecue pork dish was a good idea was a bit of a challenge. Although he is a frequent barbecuer, he shies away from pork because he finds it too dry. I tried to convince him that even though I had never made the Ginger mojito pork recipe, I was willing to bet my first born that it wouldn't be dry. After all, Chatelaine's recipes are triple-tested so why would they steer us wrong?

Ah, side dishes: the under-appreciated sidekick to every show-stopping main attraction. Friends that I had wanted to catch up with were dropping by with their 12-week-old baby for dinner. I needed something that could be prepared with little concentration and a low margin of error, and that wouldn't lead to interruptions from an oven timer, smoke alarm or visits from the local fire department. The Greek herb-roasted potatoes recipe sounded like a safe bet.

As you may or may not know, I am not an expert baker. My attempts are infrequent and my successes fleeting. But I sure felt like a star after I made these Gingerbread cookies and watched them quickly disappear at a toddler's birthday party, particularly when I saw adults also going back for more. And more. The cookies were soft, chewy and not overpoweringly sweet. They were, if I may say so, perfect.

My 19-year-old sister-in-law said, between mouthfuls that is, that the vegetarian Baked tomato risotto tasted “like fancy restaurant pasta.” She also agreed that it would be a good recipe for her to keep on her roster of nice meals to make for (or with) her boyfriend.