T'is the season of delicious temptation, tradition and treats. And whether it's an intimate gathering for a few cherished friends or a lavish holiday meal for the entire clan, the second annual Seasons Holiday Entertaining & Décor Show® will provide a wealth of enticing inspiration for holiday entertaining.

Learn how to pair foods and wines, try your hand at preparing lavish gourmet cocktails and sample delectable chocolates and cheeses at Seasons, November 17 to 19, in Hall 5 of The International Centre, Mississauga. Prepare to dazzle your holiday guests with cooking and entertaining tips served up by some of the province's most renowned chefs and other culinary celebrities.

Entertaining at home is a big trend year-round, and even more so during the holidays, according to cookbook authors Lucy Waverman and James Chatto. Lucy is well known to readers of The Globe and Mail, while James makes his journalist home at Food & Drink magazine and Toronto Life. Lucy and James will show how to pair food and wine at Seasons on Friday Nov. 17. Lucy will also offer tips from her new book, Lucy's Kitchen: Signature Recipes and Culinary Secrets, as well as from A Matter of Taste, which she and Chatto co-authored.

"Weekend entertaining at home is a growing lifestyle trend," says Waverman. "Instead of going out, people are cooking at home because they are proud of their houses. Renewed interest in cooking has lots of reasons including diet and health, plus people also want to know what's going into their food."

Because many of the current generation didn't grow up with a cooking background, Waverman will demonstrate techniques, explain where to find ingredients and how to play the substitution game. She says Christmas is the time of year "when you've got to be able to indulge yourself" and suggests a stand-up cocktail party, with specialty drinks like martinis and various food stations, makes a memorable holiday event.

"The holidays are about tradition," says Anna Olson, host of Food Network's hit series, 'sugar' and author of many cookbooks, including her latest in the 'sugar' series. "I'll be doing at least one cookie recipe: Toblerone shortbread, because cookies never go out of style."

She will demonstrate tips for getting ahead with holiday baking, such as making dough in advance and freezing it until you're ready to use it and how to substitute recipe ingredients such as cranberries for candied orange peel.

"There is definitely an interest in baking from scratch," she notes. "Cooking is functional, but baking is about the extras and sharing. There's a great sense of satisfaction that comes from baking gifts for other people."

The Wine Coaches, husband and wife sommeliers Richard Kitowski and Jocelyn Klemm who are co-authors of Clueless About Wine, will demystify the process of matching wine with food. Though the old rule of thumb used to be "red wine with roast beef and white with chicken", Jocelyn says "there are definitely new rules with all the great wine offerings available from around the world. "

"There's a lot more latitude in pairing wine and food," she explains. "It's more about matching weights of food and wine and complementing flavours." As well as suggesting the best wine choices for the traditional dinner. The Wine Coaches will also offer hints on what vintages make great gifts and how to find good value wines.

The Flairco Bartending Institute will be creating 'Gourmet Cocktails With Flair' sponsored by Rubicon Exotic Juice Drinks. With the razzle-dazzle of a Las Vegas style show, complete with bottle flipping and glass tossing, Ryan Smyth and Dean Serneels, the "FBI GUYS", will be raising the bar with interactive demonstrations about the art of entertaining with cocktails.

Learn from the best with holiday cooking ideas from some of the top chefs in the business, including award winning Executive Chef Roberto Fracchioni of the historic Millcroft Inn & Spa and Executive Chef Peter George, the culinary master at 360 The Restaurant on top of the CN Tower, the world's tallest building.

The engaging Fracchioni, will share his passion for cooking and his enthusiasm for fresh, locally produced ingredients as he entertains with his favourite holiday recipes and cooking tips.

Chef George will demonstrate his award winning flair with fresh market food, plus offer insight into the creative culinary experience which has made 360 Restaurant one of the most sought after entertaining venues in Toronto.

The Chocolatiers from Purdy's Chocolates will demonstrate daily with the 'naughty' ingredient including chocolate and wine pairings for the ultimate decadent dessert.

Cheese lovers will have found their mecca at Seasons as owner and lead cheese-maker Ruth Klahsen will be on hand from Monforte Dairy allowing you to sample and purchase her delicious products at the Jewels Of Food booth (#229).

In addition, the Dairy Farmers of Canada provide creative pairings and samplings with "Cheeses of Every Vintage", while the Ontario Cheese Society samples artisan, farmstead, regional & specialty cheeses paired with complimentary wines.

Visitors to Seasons can shop the show for inspiring ideas for at-home entertaining, select a catering expert for a turnkey culinary experience or choose a fabulous out-of-home venue from a select group of distinguished restaurants and holiday playgrounds.

Show Date: Friday, November 17 through Sunday, November 19, 2006

Hours:
Friday 12 noon - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sunday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Location: International Centre, Arrow Hall (Hall 5), 6900 Airport Road, Mississauga, www.internationalcentre.com
Admission: Adults $10.00, Seniors (65+) and Youth (13-17) $8.00, Children 12 and under are free. Tickets can be purchased at the door or save $3.00 by ordering online at www.seasonsshow.com or print this coupon and bring with you to save $1.00 off at the door.
Parking: Free for more than 5,000 vehicles

We look forward to seeing you there!