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 1984 (I was the food editor of the Toronto Sun at the time). Susur and fellow chef Michael Statlander visited me at work. We headed to the cafeteria to chat, where Susur and Michael spoke passionately about their food philosophy, emphasizing organic, in-season ingredients. Believe it or not, this was a radical idea at the time! A few years later, Susur was one of a handful of hand-picked chefs who cooked for Julia Child when I brought her to Canada for the first time (pictured in the group photo below, second from the left). The Susur Lee I know is kind, compassionate, and cares deeply about his profession. Congrats, Susur on your latest achievement: becoming Toronto's FIFA Hospitality Captain! It has been wonderful to watch your career develop over the past several decades.

I interviewed Susur Lee for my podcast in 2016, and you can catch that conversation here:  https://www.marionkane.com/podcast/susur-lee-chat-world-class-toronto/
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