Sittin' in the Kitchen

Susur Lee: I Chat with a World-Class Toronto Chef

Susur Lee is one of Canada's most recognizable and lauded chefs, but I knew him long before his rise to fame. I will never forget meeting Susur for the first time. In 198

My Foodie Friend and I Champion Underdog Vegetables

This podcast is short and funny! My famous foodie friend @mairlynsmith and I champion underdog vegetables – brussels sprouts and parsnips. May it remind you to expand you

Quebec Chef Martin Picard on Food, Foie Gras, Fun

In 2016, I interviewed one of Canada's most lauded chefs, Martin Picard, known for his big personality and famous nose-to-tail restaurant, Au Pied de Cochon. Martin and I

Nanny and Child Reunion: My Dear Evelyn and I Find Each Other After 50-Plus Years

One of the sweetest moments of my life took place when I was reunited with my childhood nanny, Evelyn. Hired by my parents when I was an infant, Evelyn left her small rur

A Lively Chat with Nigella Lawson, my Kitchen Cousin

Cooking is a wonderful destressor, and I'm not alone in that belief – my kitchen cousin, Nigella Lawson, agrees with me! I loved interviewing Nigella. We chatted like a c

A Lively Chat with Nigella Lawson, my Kitchen Cousin

Big news for one of television's most popular reality TV shows! Dame Prue Leith is leaving The Great British Bake Off and will be replaced by celebrity cooking icon, Nige

Massimo Bottura is on a Mission to Turn Food Waste into Delicious Meals

Modena's famous Massimo Bottura approaches food and cooking with a sense of creativity that is electric. His charm and energy are irresistible, and his values of social j

Chef Matty Matheson on Addiction, Politics and Pancakes

In 2017, I interviewed Matty Matheson, the John Belushi of the culinary world. Heavily tattooed, irreverent and profoundly talented. Matty rose to fame with his hugely po

Sean Brock: His Friend Tony, Fatherhood and Fried Chicken

American chef Sean Brock's work is a love letter to Southern food. Raised in a small coal town on the Virginia-Kentucky border, Sean has dedicated his craft to studying A

Amanda Cohen, Owner of “Dirt Candy,” Talks Veggies

Can vegetables be the star of the show at dinner? Chef Amanda Cohen thinks so! In 2008, Amanda opened 'Dirt Candy' – a vegetable-focused restaurant – in New York's Lower

Pastry Chef Bruno Feldeisen Shares His Bittersweet Story

Bruno Feldeisen understands the emotional aspects of food and cooking. When I interviewed him for my podcast in 2017, we dove deep into the meaning and feelings that go h

Ruth Reichl Explains the Healing Power of Cooking

In her decade as Editor-in-Chief of Gourmet magazine, Ruth Reichl would have sifted through 1000s of recipes. These 10 are her favourites: Ruth Reichl's Favorite Recipes

I Sleuth the Ultimate Dessert at the Winona Peach Festival

Huzzah! It's peach season in Ontario. That means luscious peach pies, cobblers or the simple pleasure of eating a ripe peach over the kitchen sink. I suggest a peach sund

The Canadian Connection: Alison Fryer, Hart Melvin, Mark McEwan and Jamie Kennedy

One of the highlights of my life was bringing cooking legend Julia Child to the Toronto Star Test Kitchen in 1999. We invited some of Toronto's best chefs to cook lunch

Julia Child’s Inner Cir­cle: Judith Jones, Alex Prud’homme and Bob Spitz

The Julia Child's birthday is just around the corner August 15 - my wonderful friend and mentor. She was every bit as warm and funny in person as you would expect her to

Toronto Landmark 'Harbord Bakery' Celebrates 80th Anniversary

The iconic Harbord Bakery celebrates its 80th anniversary this year. I've found that they can do no wrong especially my favourites – their stellar challah, caraway rye, t

My Foodie Friend and I Champion Two Underdog Vegetables

This podcast is short and funny! My famous foodie friend Mairlyn Smith and I champion underdog vegetables – brussels sprouts and parsnips. May it remind you to expand you

Chef Matty Matheson on Addiction, Politics and Pancakes

Congratulations to Matty Matheson on 11 years of sobriety! I interviewed Matty in 2017 when he was still newly sober. His joie de vivre was apparent in our conversation a

Brooklyn Duo Champions Gefilte Fish

Rosh Hashanah, Jewish New Year, is approaching on October 2 to 4.The Gefilteria is the brainchild of Brooklyn NY residents Liz Alpern and Jeffrey Yoskowitz, champions of

I Sleuth the Ultimate Dessert at the Winona Peach Festival

You can count on the month of August in Ontario to reliably bring us these things: long lines of traffic headed toward cottage country, at least one big thunderboomer of