Sittin' in the Kitchen

I interview Judith Jones, Julia Child's longtime editor and good friend, at her Upper East Side apartment in 2012.

Chef Martin Picard is famous for his nose-to-tail restaurant Au Pied de Cochon. Since 2009, he has divided his time between that Montreal eatery and his equally popular sugar shack 50 km away in the lush countryside. When I visited, he generously shared his thoughts on traditional Quebec cuisine, foie gras, maple syrup, cooking with leftovers and his 'last supper'.

I chat with Susan Wisniewski whose family has owned and operated the glorious, vintage Harbord Bakery in downtown Toronto for 70 years.

Activist chef Joshna Maharaj uses her creativity, spirituality and passion for fresh, vibrant local food to overhaul institutional kitchens. In her important book "Take Back the Tray," Joshna shares her disdain for bland, processed food believing that it sends the message "I don't care about you" when served to hospital patients, students on campus and other captive consumers.

I'm looking forward to watch award-winning pastry chef Bruno Feldeisen and judge on Season 4 of CBC's Great Canadian Baking Show premiering February 14th. Bruno feels that being a chef is an emotional journey. His personal history has been marked by a difficult childhood and struggles with anxiety. In my podcast conversation with Bruno, you'll hear him speak honestly and courageously about his trials, trauma and triumphs.

He's the godfather of New World Cuisine. Anthony Bourdain called him "the big dog of Florida cooking." He's chef Norman Van Aken, an American culinary legend, former hippie and genuinely nice person. I interviewed Norman for my podcast, discussing his humble beginnings as a short-order cook, the diverse influences of South Florida cuisine and that time he famously declined to cook for Trump at Mar-a-Largo.

Haven Toronto's executive director Lauro Monteiro is a man of steely determination. He has a strong desire to make things better for Toronto's vulnerable, homeless men ages 55+. I asked Lauro "What gives you hope?" as he works daily on the frontlines of the city's homeless crisis. His reply:



“I see the good in people every single day. I see tragedy. I see sad circumstances but, mixed in with that, are some incredible examples of the human spirit. That gives me hope that one day our systems, our politicians, our public policy makers will finally get this right and we will not live in a community where we have 10,000 people who are struggling every night just to have a place to sleep.”

In 2017, I interviewed indomitable chef Matty Matheson. This was shortly before his best-selling tome "Matty Matheson: A Cookbook" was released. Matty's new burger joint in Toronto's boho Queen West neighbourhood "Matty's Patty's Burger Club" serves his signature cheese-slathered burgers, originally made popular at the now closed Parts & Labour restaurant. These days, you can watch Matty's uncensored antics on his YouTube shows "Matty and Benny Eat Out America" and "Home Style Cookery with Matty Matheson." In my interview with Matty, we talk about his addiction and recovery from drugs and alcohol, his heart attack at age 29, his pithy opinions about Trump and his surprisingly delicious Cheeto-topped Mac & Cheese.

I had an instant, warm rapport with Nigella Lawson when I interviewed her in 2015, so much so that she deemed us "kitchen cousins." Nigella and I talked about the healing power of food and our shared impromptu style of cooking. Her new book (available in North America in Spring 2021) and BBC program with the same title "Cook, Eat, Repeat" beautifully reflect the comforting pleasure of cooking.

With cooler temperatures and holidays ahead comes the urge to bake! In my podcast interview with baker 'par excellence' Anna Olson we discuss how to treat over burns, pan dimensions, why unsalted butter is better and baking tips and tricks.