Smoked meat and bagels. Both of these foods were made popular in Montreal's Mile End neighbourhood which, at one time, was mainly home to Jewish immigrants. It is also where my father grew up. On a recent trip to dad's old stomping grounds, I spoke to two general managers of Mile End's culinary institutions: Schwartz's Deli and St-Viateur Bagel. We chatted about the history of their businesses and the enduring popularity of their food. Both destinations were favourites of Anthony Bourdain and Leonard Cohen. Listen to the podcast here:



In my accompanying blog post, I pay a loving tribute to my parents and their Montreal roots: www.marionkane.com/montreal/roots-city-montreal/



For recipes of all kinds, join my Facebook group, Sittin' in the Kitchen: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SittinInTheKitchen

On a 2014 trip to a food writers’ convention in Memphis, I learned that virtually every topic related to Southern food is a matter of debate. Does sugar belong in cornbread? Should we pronounce it pe-cahn or p-can? Fortunately, my friend and expert on Southern culture Kathleen Purvis was on hand to settle these and other matters of culinary debate. Tune in to hear me pepper Kathleen, currently a freelance food journalist, with questions about Southern food – she is a real gem! www.marionkane.com/podcast/food-writer-kathleen-purvis-shares/

For recipes of all kinds, join my Facebook group, Sittin' in the Kitchen: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1573678999552442

There are some people in this world who have a light that shines so bright, it illuminates everyone around them. My friend Wendy Bray is one such person. Wendy, Senior Fund development Manager at the Red Door Family Shelter in Toronto, has an enduring positive outlook on life - something we both learned from a mutual friend who survived Auschwitz. Listen to my recent podcast interview with Wendy and you'll be reminded that even in the darkest times there is room for hope.

Donate to support her work at reddoorshelter.ca.

NYC's iconic Katz's Deli - yes, that deli from the movie When Harry Met Sally - has served their famous pastrami to hungry customers since 1888. Katz's is New York's oldest deli and has survived two pandemics: the flu of 1918 and now, Covid. In 2015, I had a conversation with the deli's delightfully funny owner Fred Austin shortly before he retired.

Read the podcast transcript here: https://www.marionkane.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Katzs-Deli-Transcript.pdf

For recipes of all kinds, join my Facebook group Sittin' in the Kitchen: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SittinInTheKitchen

I teamed up with my trusty recipe tester chef Lesleigh Landry to perfect home-cooked chicken wings. My criteria for superior wings: they must be salty, spicy, crunchy and crispy. Lesleigh and I taste-tested 7 recipes - baked & fried. Find the winning versions plus my special recipe for Blue Cheese Dip here: www.marionkane.com/recipe-2/lesleigh-landry-loves-work-recipe/

Julia Child loved her visits to Toronto. On her first visit to our fair city in 1991, she was wowed by a lunch cooked by some of Canada’s top chefs. I'll always remember the touching moment when she walked into the kitchen to thank the chefs who had cooked for her. Listen to my podcast and you'll hear from Toronto’s finest chefs, the former Cookbook Store manager and an elite ice cream maker recall their love and respect for Julia.

JULIA and JUDITH: Next Tuesday, the Canadian Food Network premieres The Julia Child Challenge (it has begun in the U.S. this week) - a show where home cooks enter culinary challenges, each competing to win a paid three-month cooking course at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Julia was my friend and mentor until her death in 2004. She changed my life forever. Another friend of the beloved TV cooking star was Judith Jones - Julia's long-time editor. From the moment the manuscript for Mastering the Art of French Cooking dropped onto her desk, Judith's life was never the same. I travelled to New York to interview Judith Jones about five years before her death. In this episode of Sittin' in the Kitchen from 2012, you'll hear Judith talk about how a down-to-earth American woman became the world's first TV celebrity chef. https://www.marionkane.com/podcast/judith-jones-julia-childs-longtime/

'The Julia Child Challenge' airs on March 14th in the U.S. and March 22nd in Canada on The Food Network. You can read more about the show here: https://www.foodnetwork.com/fn-dish/shows/the-julia-child-challenge

Want to hear more about Julia from the people who knew her best? Listen to my podcast series from 2012 celebrating Julia's 100th birthday here: https://www.marionkane.com/julia-child-100/intro/

For recipe suggestions of all kinds, join my Facebook group, Sittin' in the Kitchen: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SittinInTheKitchen

The Waldorf Salad – named after its birthplace, Manhattan's legendary Waldorf Astoria hotel – has evolved since it was first created in 1896. In my 2013 interview with the hotel's then executive chef David Garcelon, we talked about the enduring popularity of the famous salad. At the time of this interview, the Waldorf Astoria was serving 20,000 salads/year!

A few steps away from my home in Toronto's Kensington Market is the Pow Wow Café where they make the most delicious #indiantacos. The restaurant, owned by the talented and energetic #Ojibway / #Jewish chef Shawn Adler, has turned to catering for homeless shelters in the wake of Covid. The Pow Wow Café isn't offering take-away or dine-in until further notice but Shawn has hinted that pop-ups at the restaurant are likely to happen during the spring/summer months. Shawn’s second restaurant, The Flying Chestnut Kitchen in Eugenia, Ontario, currently offers take-away on Friday and Saturday nights.

Rosemary Kelly is my long-time friend. Her Facebook name is: rosieonthemove. Her LinkedIn profile is: Independent Health, Wellness and Fitness Professional. Rosemary is an intrepid traveller. She cooks. And she’s treated cancer patients with massage. She is a free spirit. Rosemary told me her story at the kitchen table in her cozy apartment in downtown Toronto. I began asking how long we’ve known each other.