• Toronto is reveling in all things maple -- in wine, mustard, sugar, cheddar and even vinegar.
• The story of Melton Mowbray Pork Pies, local pride and the man behind their current success.
  
• Writer Corey Mintz shares his unique spin on Passover and being Jewish.
• Smoke in the kitchen can be tough to tolerate, but it's worth it if blackened catfish is the result.
  
• How to bake for Passover without using leavening.
• New wines that have "such excellent value even Harrison Ford would be excited": Casa Lapostolle 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, Cleebourg Prestige 2006 Pinot Gris, Walter Clappis The Hedonist 2005 Shiraz, Sportoletti Assisi 2006 Rosse, Stringy Brae 2006 Shiraz
  
• Recipes: Spinach and Prosciutto Lasagna, Mixed Greens with Fennel and Tangerine, Peppermint Patties, Down-home Tuna Casserole

Fans of savory pies need no longer fear getting hung up at Heathrow security due to the suspicious scent of smuggled Stargazy pie and Cornish pasties emanating from their person. Angela Boggiano's pastry-centric paen to traditional British fare allows the rest of the globe to tuck into cold Melton Mowbray Pork Pies and hand-held Grimbsy Town Soccer Pies in the comfort of their very own homes.

There's a serviceable nod to the dessert end of the spectrum, but the meat and fish based recipes are the sweet spot.

Takeaway tips: Pastry crust isn't difficult to make, so long as you follow the author's three golden rules:

Quality of pictures: Seductive and instructive

We tested: Melton Mowbray Pork Pies and Eccles Cakes
Recipes were thorough, easy to follow and quite approachable for home cooks and fledgling pie makers. The U.S. edition translates all measurements into non-metric quantities. Our one quibble was a single digit omitted from the Eccles Cakes baking temperature (50F? Really?) but we took our best guess, and both pies turned out as pictured and previously sampled while we were in their native land.

Worth the investment: Yes, for Anglophiles, ex-pats, lovers of lard and the gluten averse -- she includes recipes for wheat-free pastry.