Originally published in the Journal de Montréal on December 17, 2011.

We are concluding our trilogy of menus for people with specific dietary needs, with a festive menu specially designed for diabetics. There’s no reason why you cannot celebrate just because you are diabetic, if you pay attention to a few points:

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It’s that time of year again: We have a million things to do before Christmas, and very little time to do it all in.

To lend a helping hand, I’ve concocted a “lazy” menu for you this week:

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Originally published in the Journal de Montréal on December 10, 2011.

This week I’m recommending a “5-course gluten-free menu” for a festive meal. This means that foods containing rye, oats, wheat, barley, triticale and its derivatives have to be avoided.
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Originally published in the Journal de Montréal on December 3, 2011.

The number of people with dietary restrictions in our circle of family and friends is increasing by the day. That’s why for the next three Saturdays before Christmas (including today), I’d like to recommend some specially designed gourmet menus for all the guests to enjoy at the party… without the hosts having to break into a sweat about how to plan the menu.

We begin this week with a ‘5-course lactose-free menu’ for a festive meal. Normally, people who are intolerant to this milk sugar are still able to tolerate some dairy products. For example, cheeses that are low in lactose (such as cheddar, blue, Parmesan) are often eaten without any problem if taken in small amounts during the meal.
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Originally published in the Journal de Montréal on November 26, 2011.

The slow cooker, a practical solution for serving up a nice hot meal after work, has started to make a comeback. This cooking appliance uses moist heat: All the ingredients are placed in a glazed ceramic or porcelain cooking pot that is covered, and are cooked slowly, by the indirect heat of the heating elements contained in the metal housing.

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Eastern wisdom believes that well-being and longevity depend on a balance of the five elemental energies represented by five colours: Orange/Yellow, Green, Red, Blue/Purple, and White. Interestingly, recent nutritional studies advise us to eat foods of all these colours. Read the rest of this entry »

Nutrition experts agree that our meals should literally be as colourful as possible, in order to benefit from the wide variety of nutrients and vitamins offered by fruits and vegetables.

Blue/Purple fruits and vegetables are coloured by natural plant pigments called “anthocyanins“, that are powerful antioxidants and protect our cells from damage. They may help reduce the risk of cancer, stroke and heart disease. Some studies even show that they may improve memory.

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