I’m shipping off to grad school in London (no, not Ontario) in the fall – and I’m trying desperately to conjure up some deep, captivating message about food, agriculture, and culinary ethics that hasn’t already been put on a bestseller list by Barbara Kingsolver, Jamie Oliver, or Mark Bittman.

Even the most particular person always has at least one thing to marvel at when they think of the French: food. French food is one of the oldest, proudest and most regulated gastronomical traditions in the world. This is not to say that Indian, Thai, Spanish or any of the other traditions are lacking in some way, but they were not institutionalized as early as the French.

Blood, guts, and gore are trademarks of most horror movies and Halloween costumes. But bad fake blood can ruin even the goriest costume. A visit to the costume shop might solve the problem, but with these simple tools, anyone can create scream-worthy innards.

My peanut butter cookie repertoire used to consist of delicious, crispy cookies made from a recipe handed down from my grandmother. But they had nine ingredients in them, and who has that kind of time? These cookies have only three ingredients in them, and while they come with a little less childhood nostalgia, they are unbelievably delicious.

There are two ways to make cold coffee: normal coffee that’s been cooled, and cold-brewed coffee. The second is far more delicious and satisfying. There is a notable difference between letting hot coffee cool off and cold brewing it specifically. Cold-brewed coffee is less acidic and bitter, and a lot more flavourful-particularly if you’ve been using ice cubes to cool down regular coffee instead.

A few weeks ago, I ran a workshop at Nuit Blanche. We talked about a great assortment of food facts, including a demonstration of a brilliant tool: foodpairing.be, which generates incredible (and often unexpected) flavour matches. This can be useful for writing new recipes and coming up with innovative dishes.

Stir-frying random ingredients is a simple way to cook an impressive meal without culinary skill or expertise. I lack all three, but I can still make a passable tofu stir-fry without setting something on fire. The following recipe takes 10-30 minutes to prepare, depending on how many vegetables you use, and about 10 minutes to actually cook.

Canadian-Mexican cuisine is one step below Tex-Mex: anything that’s spicy and can be served with a tortilla is labeled as Mexican food. While I can’t change the food – the best Mexican food ingredients are nearly impossible to find in Montreal – the margaritas are certainly fixable.

Beer bread is a savoury quickbread, much like a salty, dense pound cake. This specific recipe is made with cheese, which seeps through the delicious bread. Rosemary and thyme impart a sophisticated flavour, but the real kicker is the beer, which acts as a levener and adds a yeasty undertone.

Blood oranges are bright, aromatic, and have a rich citrus flavour. This rustic tart exploits their beautiful colors and sweet juices so that by the time it’s out of the oven your house will smell and feel like summer. Although the recipe is a slightly laborious process, think of it as an excuse to stay inside.