With the holidays just around the corner, festive parties and gatherings are on everyone’s list. Cooking at home for your loved ones and best mates is something that happens naturally for most. When it comes to it, we all want to be able to put on that amazing dinner party that everyone raves about. But how do we go about putting on one of those beautifully decorated and decadent dinner parties you see on Pinterest? I mean, the food alone is one of the most difficult parts. Sides and salads are doable, but what about the meat? Most people have a fear of serving meat at dinner parties as it can be quite the skill to perfect. Well, fear no more! TasteTro is here to help this holiday season. Our TasteTro chef is giving away 5 amazing tips on how to cook your meat so that it turns out perfect every time. No more nervous nail biting around whether your guests will like the main meat dish you cooked or not.

The change in season and the onset of cold weather is calling on heartier comfort foods. For this reason, we could not be any more thrilled to showcase some of our favorite TasteTro soup and stew recipes. Our feature soup of the month, Roasted Carrot and Parsnip Soup exemplifies all of the important components of what makes a good, hearty soup so satisfying during the winter months.

So, what makes a soup good? Here are 4 helpful tips:

Pairing Spices and Wine

When it comes to spicy foods, there is a tendency to autopilot toward beer to refresh and recharge our awakened palates. But beer isn’t the only option – wine can often bring out the best a spicy meal has to offer. The trick is finding the perfect pairing to complement every aspect of your dish, while tampering the newfound fire on your tongue. We spoke with Erika Tocco, Wine Director from Vin Room in Calgary, about the best approach to pairing wine with a spicy dish.