Photo, Jane Staples I love to bake for the holidays. Cookies make a great hostess gift, kids gobble them up and you know, when they're just sitting around in the kitchen...you can enjoy them too! These crisp gingerbread cookies are flavourful and just right with a cup of coffee or mulled wine (glögi). They're easy and fun to make. Chilling the dough makes it super easy to roll out. Cut them out in whimsical shapes, or traditional ones, whatever suits your fancy and have fu

Italy is the world’s leading producer of sparkling wines. If you love Prosecco you'll be glad to discover that there are more Italian sparkling wines that are well worth trying. Three of these are Asti, Franciacorta and Lambrusco. Let's take a look at them! Asti is a sweet sparkling white wine made in Piedmont in Northwestern Italy, particularly around the town of the same name, Asti. Made from 100% moscato grapes, it is relatively low in alcohol (7%-9%) and sweet. It's

Did you ever make a gingerbread house as a child? Well now there's a grownup version; a charcuterie house! This has to be the most creative charcuterie board ever! It could be a log cabin, or a ski chalet, just let your imagination run wild and have fun with it! You could also string tiny fairy lights around the board if this is going on a table, for a really impressive centrepiece. I'm very partial to cream cheese with herbs and garlic, so I'm seeing cheese "snow" drift

Douro D.O.P., Portugal The 2020 holiday season is here, this year with some differences. Although we can't attend as many parties and gatherings as usual, this year it's especially important to find ways to make celebrations at home happy. And we still need gift ideas, too! This Vintage Port makes an excellent gift for a friend with a wine cellar, or a luxurious indulgence for yourself. We deserve that this year more than ever. This fullbodied Vintage Port was made using