Food

In “What’s For Dinner? Delicious Recipes for a Busy Life,” chef and new dad Curtis Stone helps home cooks with recipes and tips for getting dinner ready every day of the week.
Here are two recipes from the book, published by Appetite by Random House.
Seared Scallops and Peas With Bacon and Mint

TORONTO — Barley is not just an ingredient for soup any more.
The vitamin and mineral-rich cereal grain grown across Canada is also used to lend a nutty flavour and chewy texture to salads, risottos, chilis, casseroles, cakes, squares and muffins.

Barley can be used in main-course dishes as well as dessert. Here are some recipes using pot barley or barley flour from the Alberta Barley Commission.
Yogurt Barley Fruit Scones
Use raisins or dried cranberries in these scones. Serve them at brunch or with a cup of tea for an afternoon treat.
500 ml (2 cups) whole barley flour
30 ml (2 tbsp) granulated sugar
12 ml (2 1/2 tsp) baking powder

The curse of roasted chicken — especially when you are working with parts rather than a whole bird — is how easily is dries out. A few too many minutes in the oven can be all it takes to go from juicy to chewy.

TORONTO — Low and slow is Danielle Dimovski’s mantra.
She’s talking barbecue, when meats are cooked for a long time at low heat, rendering them smoky, tender, juicy and flavourful.
Patience is required to achieve best results.
Dimovski was introduced to barbecue about seven years ago when she was asked to judge a competition.

Here is a super easy recipe from Danielle Dimovski for flank steak.
Flank is an economical cut of beef that benefits from marinating and is perfect for the grill.
Being budget friendly makes this an ideal meal for any family, says the barbecue champion and mother of three.
Diva Q Garlic, Soy and Rosemary Marinated Flank Steak
1 kg (2 lb) flank steak
250 ml (1 cup) soy sauce

Bright citrusy flavours. Splashes of colorful sugary confetti. Rich creamy frosting flecked with berries.

Don’t know your pork butts from your rump roasts? It may be getting a little easier.

The unpredictable nature of spring — balmy one moment, frigid the next — makes us hanker for dishes that reflect the season’s maybe-maybe not feel.

Here are some recipes from “Everyone Can Cook Everything,” the seventh book in Eric Akis’s “Everyone Can Cook” series.
These easy examples from the Victoria-based chef and food writer are full of flavour and perfect for spring. Akis also provides some options for those who would like to vary the dishes.
Romaine With Oranges, Feta and Olives