Hosting your family for the holidays is so much better than having to go somewhere. No fighting traffic. No lugging wrapped gifts. No having to flip a coin to decide who’s going to be the evening’s DD. It’s brilliant.

We’d argue that the best part of hosting is deciding what to make. It’s the one meal everyone will remember, and your opportunity to reset the bar. Fun, but also a lot of pressure. So if you’re stuck for ideas, here’s a five-course meal you can put together or use as inspiration for something better.

AMUSE BOUCHE

Bacon-wrapped stuffing

Spoiler alert: we’re not going with a turkey as our main. But not to have stuffing at a Christmas dinner borders on blasphemous. This easy-to-make popper care of the chefs at Walmart needs just two ingredients and 30 minutes to make — although most of that time is spent filling your house with the sweet smell of bacon as it cooks.

INGREDIENTS

1 box of stuffing mix (find it at Bloorstreet Market)

6 slices bacon, cut in half

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Cook the boxed stuffing according to package directions. Let cool for 5 minutes.

3. Use a cookie scoop to create stuffing balls or roll two tablespoons of stuffing into two-inch balls.

4. Wrap with 1/2 slice bacon and secure with a toothpick.

5. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until bacon is crisp and top of stuffing is lightly browned.

SOUP

Chestnut Soup with Grappa Cream

If our suites had fireplaces, we could all roast our chestnuts the way Bing Crosby intended. But since they don’t, this Fabio Trabocchi creation is an equally delicious way to enjoy the festive season’s official nut. It’s super creamy — so perfect for a cold night — but best served in small cups or bowls, lest it fill you and your guests up before the main.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 ounces thinly sliced pancetta

2 medium shallots, sliced (1/2 cup)

1/2 cup diced peeled celery root

1/2 pound white mushrooms, sliced

One 14-ounce jar vacuum-packed roasted chestnuts, coarsely chopped

4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth

1/4 cup Cognac

1 fresh bay leaf

1 sage sprig

1 thyme sprig, plus 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, for garnish

3/4 cup half-and-half

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons grappa

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the pancetta and cook over moderate heat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the shallots and celery root and cook until the celery root is just tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl, leaving the pancetta and fat in the saucepan.

2. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter to the saucepan along with the mushrooms and all but 2 tablespoons of the chestnuts. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and are slightly softened, 6 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the chicken stock and the celery root mixture and cook for 1 minute. Add the Cognac and cook until evaporated, 2 minutes.

3. Add the bay leaf, sage and thyme sprigs to the saucepan along with the remaining 3 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons of chicken stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard the pancetta, bay leaf, sage and thyme.

4. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until creamy and smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan. Stir in the half-and-half, season with salt and white pepper and keep warm.

5. In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Beat in the grappa and season with salt and pepper.

6. Ladle the soup into small bowls. Dollop the grappa cream on top, garnish with the thyme leaves and the reserved 2 tablespoons of chestnuts and serve.

MAIN

Leg of lamb with garlic and rosemary

The name of the game for your main is simple. It’s the centrepiece of your dinner and you don’t want to run the risk of it going awry. It doesn’t get much easier than this holiday mainstay from Epicurious. For your guests, it’s a welcome change from the expected turkey — and it’s tryptophan-free so you can keep going into the wee hours.

INGREDIENTS

1 (7-pound) semi-boneless leg of lamb, aitchbone removed, fat trimmed to 1/4 inch thick and lamb tied

4 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon fine sea salt

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup dry red wine or beef broth

DIRECTIONS

1. Pat lamb dry and score fat by making shallow cuts all over with tip of a small sharp knife.

2. Pound garlic to a paste with sea salt using a mortar and pestle (or mince and mash with a heavy knife) and stir together with rosemary and pepper. Put lamb in a lightly oiled roasting pan, then rub paste all over lamb. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F.

4. Roast lamb in middle of oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted 2 inches into thickest part of meat (do not touch bone) registers 130°F, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand 15 to 25 minutes (internal temperature will rise to about 140°F for medium-rare).

5. Add wine to pan and deglaze by boiling over moderately high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Season pan juices with salt and pepper and serve with lamb.

SIDE

Harissa-Roasted Winter Squash

Hearty and savoury with a bit of zing, this Food Network side goes perfectly with cold weather. You can find the harissa paste downstairs at the Bloorstreet Market, or you can make it yourself with crushed hot red chilies, caraway, cumin, coriander, garlic, salt and spearmint leaves. The pomegranate seeds are optional, but definitely make for a festive touch.

INGREDIENTS

1 acorn squash, cut into wedges

3 Tbsp harissa spice blend

2 Tbsp maple syrup

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp goat cheese, crumbled (optional)

pomegranate seeds (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Whisk harissa spice blend, oil and maple syrup in a small bowl.

2. Cut the squash in half from top to bottom and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Cut each half into 4 equal wedges.

3. In a large bowl, toss squash wedges with harissa mixture to coat. Roast for 10 minutes, toss once and continue to roast until squash is tender, 20-25 minutes.

DESSERT

Apple Cake

Like with the main, simple wins the dessert game. Courtesy of @ld_kitchen.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

3 extra-large eggs

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

3 tbsp Tia Maria

3 1/2 cups chopped cooking

apples

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 °F.

2. Grease and flour a 10-inch springform cake pan and set aside.

3. Put oil, brown and granulated sugars in bowl: mix with an electric hand beater for 2–3 seconds.

4. Incorporate eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions.

5. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into a separate bowl. Incorporate into egg mixture until well blended.

6. Fold in Tia Maria, apples and walnuts with a spatula. Pour the batter into mold and bake for 1 1/2 hours or until a wooden pick stuck into the cake comes out clean.

Among the many benefits of living at 44 Charles are 16 guest suites on the second floor that you can rent. Your visitors can stay with you, but in their own space.

You’ll have three styles to choose from:

• a one-bed bachelor from $145/night* for your buddy
• a two-bed bachelor from $160/night* for your buddies
• a one-bedroom suite with a kitchenette from $210/night* for your in-laws.

You won’t find a hotel in the area with rates this low.

Every suite’s a treat

Your guests will sleep on a Tempur-Pedic® bed, they’ll get fresh towels every day and fresh sheets every few days. There’s a coffee machine in every suite, as well as a bar fridge to bring back snacks from Scaccia downstairs.

As for connectivity, the TV’s fully loaded with Canadian and US channels, and the internet is complimentary and strong.

Your house is their house

When your guests arrive, they’ll get a fob that gives them access to the entire building, including the 51st floor indoor pool and sundeck, the gym and club room on the 31st floor and the Urban Garden off the third floor.

And you don’t even have to live here

The guest suites are also available to any Manulife Centre retail tenants. Have a buyer in from out of town? Put them up at one of the city’s most exciting corners. Think about how much of the city you can walk to from here. Chinatown, the UofT, Church Street and, of course, Yorkville.

You can learn more about the building and our guest suites here, or by calling the Concierge at 416-323-2575.

*Rates are subject to change without notice.

If you’ve been following the Olympics over the last few days, you know Canada’s doing better than most of us thought we’d do. All the more reason to whip up a bit of extra national pride.

That’s why we’re showing the games in the Manulife Centre atrium. Instead of cheering by yourself in your apartment, you can come downstairs and be part of a cheering section.

Even better are the conversations you’ll have with strangers about sports you don’t know but become an expert in every four years. Did she break her form during her third dive? Was the dressage as artistic as it could have been?

And our course, while you’re down in the Manulife Centre, you can pick up a few things to get you into the Olympic spirit.

Cachaça at the LCBO:

This is Brazilian rum, and the root ingredient of Brazil’s most famous cocktail, the Caipirinha. Here’s one of our favourite recipes, courtesy of Jamie Oliver:

• 5 limes
• 12 tablespoons golden caster sugar
• 2 cm fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 1 kg ice cubes, crushed
• 70 cl Cachaça
• 1 small bunch fresh mint, leaves picked

Cut the limes into wedges, squeeze the juice into a large jug, then toss in the wedges. Add the sugar and ginger then bash it up to get the flavours going. Half fill the jug with crushed ice and bash again. Then add the Cachaça, stir, taste and add more sugar you want. Top the jug up with mint leaves and enjoy!

Maple syrup at the Bloorstreet Market:

Here’s a new Canadian tradition: do a shot of syrup every time we medal.

A gym membership at GoodLife:

It’s easy to get inspired by the physical specimens on the screen. Should that inspiration translate into action, our GoodLife location is one of the best in town. Great instructors and trainers, flexible classes, a spin studio and even a pool if you want something more than what’s up on 51.

But first, the games. There’s still time to enjoy them with friends and neighbours in the atrium. So come downstairs, meet some people and show your pride.

Go Canada Go!

What’s that chirping noise? What are those colourful little things peeking up from the ground?

Wait…spring’s here! And as it stretches its warm fingers over the ground outside, encouraging life wherever it goes, our residents are doing the same thing. After all, why should the outdoors get all the fun? It’s a time of regrowth and refreshment, and… well… some of our personal living spaces could do with a bit of refreshing. (more…)

The birds have started chirping, the cyclist/car struggle has picked up right where it left off last fall and the first few sun-worshippers are back on the rooftop garden. Yup, spring is in the air, and there’s no better way to celebrate than with some delicious food that simply screams spring.

After much experimentation, several food-induced naps and a trip or two to the Bloor Street Market, we’ve picked our winners.

Strawberry Quinoa Salad with Brie
From The Kitchen Magpie

Refreshing, zesty and full of life, this is the perfect dish to welcome the warm weather. The salad is light and delicate, but the brie makes this dish filling enough to enjoy as a main. The spinach, chard and strawberries are all in-season, and the creamy brie conjures up visions of picnics in the grass. Insider’s tip: you can replace the recommended mustard with any grainy mustard.

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

• 4-5 cups of mixed kale, spinach and chard
• 1/2 cup quinoa, cooked
• 1/3 cup of diced brie – rind off (this is personal preference)
• Strawberries – as many as you like, cut in halves and quarters (I used 8)
• Vinaigrette:
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp brassica mustard
  • 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine the greens mixture, strawberries and the brie.
2. Combine the vinaigrette ingredients completely, using either a lidded jar to shake the ingredients together or a fork to whisk it rapidly.
3. Heat the vinaigrette and the quinoa up, the microwave works fast & easy for this.
4. Combine the hot vinaigrette and the hot quinoa with the salad rapidly, wilting the greens slightly and softening the brie  further.
5. Serve and enjoy!

Snap Pea and Avocado Pasta
From Martha Stewart

The queen of the kitchen retains her crown with this pasta dish bursting with seasonal spring veggies. Filling you up without weighing you down, it can be served either hot or cold. It can be prepared in under 30 minutes – perfect for when you’re rushing out the door to meet friends for a potluck. For the herbs, they give you the choice of mint, parsley or basil — go with basil.

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
• 1 pound sugar snap peas, strings removed
• 1 pound bow-tie pasta (farfalle)
•  4 tablespoons butter
•  2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, plus more for serving, if desired

DIRECTIONS

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook asparagus until bright green, about 2 minutes. Add snap peas; cook 30 seconds. With a slotted spoon or small sieve, scoop out vegetables; transfer to a bowl.
• Return water to a boil; add pasta and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water; set pasta aside in colander.
• In pasta pot, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add asparagus, snap peas, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter, cooked pasta, avocado, herbs, cheese, and reserved pasta water. Toss to combine; season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with additional cheese, if desired.

Herb Roasted Lamb Chops
From Epicurious

If March comes in like a lion, it should go out with a healthy helping of lamb. The beauty of these chops is that you don’t have to marinate them for long to bring out a rich, herb-infused flavour. It’s delicious with a side of leafy spring greens, and makes for an unforgettable dinner party main course. Whether you’re trying to impress your partner, or just feel like rewarding yourself at the end of a long week, you can’t go wrong with these succulent spring chops.

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

• 4 large garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, lightly crushed
•  1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, lightly crushed
• 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 6 1 1/4-inch-thick lamb loin chops

DIRECTIONS

• Mix first 4 ingredients and 1 tablespoon olive oil in large bowl.
• Add lamb; turn to coat. Let marinate at room temperature at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over high heat.
• Add lamb; cook until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven and roast lamb chops to desired doneness, about 10 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer lamb to platter, cover, and let rest 5 minutes.

Bon Appétit!