Julia Child, photographed in her Cambridge, Massachusetts, kitchen, June 29, 1970. By Arnold Newman/Getty Images.
The first cook outside my own family that I can remember was Julia Child.
Which still seems like a slightly strange sentence.
I was a kid whose priorities consisted mostly of street hockey, hockey cards and figuring out how long I could avoid going to bed. My heroes wore skates, not aprons.
Yet somehow, I would come inside, flop onto the couch and happily watch a six foot two woman explain how to make boeuf bourguignon.
Growing up in Ottawa, America arrived through WNPE and WNPI in Watertown, New York. Those PBS stations were my window into the United States. PBS felt less like television and more like a very well funded public library that had somehow acquired cameras.
Julia Child. This Old House. Sesame Street, which played a real role in helping me learn English. The Electric Company. The Victory Garden. And the occasional documentary about JFK, which somehow sparked my next obsession.
Looking back, it was quite an education.
I don’t remember exactly what drew me to Julia. (more…)
Ful Medames, Harissa Roast Tomatoes & Pickled Chilli Salsa excerpted from Centerpiece: Bold, vibrant recipes to put vegetables in the spotlight by Helen Graham. Photography by Yuki Sugiura.
A celebration of bold, vibrant vegetarian dishes designed to inspire, delight and put vegetables exactly where they belong: centre stage.
Drawing inspiration from the rich flavours of the Middle East and North Africa, as well as Helen Graham‘s Ashkenazi Jewish heritage, this cookbook features 100 inventive, vegetable based recipes that will transform your table. With accessible ingredients and simple methods, Graham’s flavour packed combinations of spices, herbs and sauces elevate vegetables into something truly showstopping.
What’s Inside
The Meal Before the Meal
Mushrooms with Tamari & Pomegranate Skewers
Halloumi Ricotta Fritters with Spiced Lemon ‘Honey’
The Main Event
Harissa Roast Carrots, Mango Labneh & Mint
Hispi Cabbage with Date Butter & Tahini
On the Side
Potato Salad with Basil Zhoug & Coconut Crunch
Hawaij Roast Potatoes with Preserved Lemon Roast Shallots
Helen Graham was Executive Chef at the renowned London restaurant Bubala for five years, following roles at critically acclaimed restaurants including The Palomar and The Barbary, as well as the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen.
Praise for Helen Graham
Meera Sodha: “Helen’s recipes are the most exciting thing to have happened to vegetables since Ottolenghi.”
Anna Jones: “Original, do-able, unquestionably delicious vegetable recipes. I love this book.”
Jay Rayner: “Helen Graham has a thrillingly unique way with flavours, which makes you look at familiar ingredients anew. Her bold plant based cookery takes the Middle Eastern repertoire and shakes it by the scruff of the neck.”
Yotam Ottolenghi: “Helen carries the torch for all the ingredients I love most. Vegetables behaving exactly as they should. A cook after my own heart.”
Food & Wine and New York Times Cooking contributor Colu Henry collects her signature relaxed-but-impressive recipes that are perfect for cozy nights in.
Better at Homeis the essential cookbook that makes every meal feel special, perfect for food lovers yet approachable for any home cook.
Colu Henry’s life, split between Hudson, New York, and Nova Scotia, always revolves around gathering friends at the table. Her cooking is about joyful, stress-free meals that never sacrifice sophistication. After years in the hospitality industry, she’s learned one thing: Most meals are simply better at home.
Inside, you’ll find playful twists on cocktails like Fizzy Negroni Pompelmos and Amaro Spritzes; snackable bites such as Italian Shrimp Toast, Fried Sausage-Stuffed Olives, and Roasted Eggplant Dip with Toasted Seeds; and deeply satisfying vegetarian sides like Butter Rice with Roasted Tomatoes and Herbs, Braised Snap Peas with a Bit of Cream, and Golden, Crispy Leeks with Melted Gruyère.
And, of course, the soulful soups, stews, and pastas Colu is known for: Cappelletti en Brodo with Mortadella Meatballs, Lentil Stew with Pork and Crispy Walnuts, and an Early Summer Pasta with Torn Noodles, Mascarpone, and Hazelnuts. Plus, crowd-pleasers like Calabrian Chili and Pickled Pepper Braised Pork and Roast Chicken with Lemon, Fennel, and Crispy Pecorino Potatoes. (more…)
I have a complicated relationship with nostalgia. It usually shows up wearing a greasy paper hat and calling itself pizza.
For years in Ottawa, pizza meant one of two things. Chains doing their best impression of melted sadness, or what people insist on calling Ottawa style pizza, which is usually a dense, heavy crust that feels like it was designed to survive a winter storm and a small building collapse. It is filling in the same way a brick is filling. I grew up on it. After sports games, late nights, whatever was happening when nobody cared what they were eating, it was there. But it was never something you went looking for on purpose.
Then something shifted. Slowly, quietly, and without asking permission, better pizza started appearing around the city. Not perfect replicas of New York, but places that understood what made those slices memorable in the first place. Pizza should be light enough to fold, sturdy enough to hold, and delicious enough that you briefly reconsider your entire personality after the second slice.
The first time I went to New York, I finally understood the mythology. The slice makes sense there in a way it never fully explained itself anywhere else. It is not trying to impress you. It is just good at being itself. Since then I have been chasing that feeling without expecting to ever fully catch it.
Schoolhouse Pizza has figured out something important. It is not pretending to be a shrine. It is not over explaining itself. It is just doing the work, quietly and consistently, in a way that feels closer to New York than most places that advertise that connection.
I went to the New Edinburgh location, though there is also the Preston Street spot at 348 Preston Street in Ottawa. The space does not demand your attention. The pizza does.
What I like most is that they let you split a pie. This should be standard everywhere and yet it is still treated like a favour. It means you can live two lives in one meal, which is about as close as food gets to generosity.
I ordered the Classic New York Pepperoni and the Tomato Pie.
The pizza arrives split down the middle, giving you two personalities on one 18 inch pie. One half is the Classic New York Pepperoni, built on tomato sauce, mozzarella, and cup and char pepperoni. The bottom has that proper structure, not too thick, not collapsing under pressure. It bends the way it should. The pepperoni curls and crisps at the edges, pooling just enough oil to remind you that restraint is not always the goal. It tastes like something I have been trying to remember rather than something I am discovering for the first time. (more…)
An intoxicating tour of Italian Lidos with lush photography, recipes and more, from some of the most sought-after beach clubs in Italy.
Brightly coloured umbrellas dance in the wind, above matching sun beds in the same bold hues. The crystal blue water shimmers in the background and gently laps against the pebble beaches. Bronzed, glistening bodies dot the landscape. Like most things Italian, there is an art to a day at the beach.
Lido is a transporting exploration of the history, culture, and food of Italian beach clubs. Part 1 invites you to the clubs along the whole of the Italian coast. Part 2 shares over 60 recipes from appertivi to dolci. Living la dolce vita has never been easier with recipes for Pinsa with Ricotta and Mortadella, Lobster Risotto, Puglian Bruschetta with Marinated Summer Squash, and Pavlova with Fior Di Latte Cream.
A Journey through Italy’s Beach Clubs
Coastal-Inspired Italian Recipes
On-Location Photography throughout Italy
Italian Vacation Inspiration
Grab your towel and find your spot under the umbrella. The salty, sweet air and azure waters of the beach clubs await. (more…)
Strawberry Thyme Shortcakes excerpted from Full Belly: Recipes and Stories from a Family Farm by Jenna Muller and Amon Muller. Photography by Molly DeCoudreaux.
100 easy, seasonal recipes from the beloved, third generation organic family farm located in the verdant Capay Valley in California.
Full Belly‘s recipes follow seasonal rhythms, highlighting fresh, organic ingredients. Dishes like Corn and Summer Squash Pizza and Vibrant Little Gem Salad embody the warmth and simplicity of California cooking. Learn to minimize food waste with recipes for Late Season Tomato Jam and Peach Leaf Creme Brûlée. Founded in 1985, Full Belly Farm is one of the oldest sustainable farms in California and supplies to beloved restaurants like Chez Panisse and Zuni Cafe.
Seasonal recipes: Cook seasonally with recipes from Full Belly’s farm kitchen
Farm life: Learn about life on one of California’s oldest sustainable farms―from animal husbandry to the rhythms of planting, growing, and harvesting four seasons of produce.
How-to: Find practical advice on choosing the best produce, the difference between varieties, and how to garden with sustainable farming practices.
CSA subscribers: CSA box subscribers will find it easy to cook along with Full Belly’s 100 seasonal recipes.
Brekkie Cookies excerpted Love What’s On Your Plate: Wholesome recipes to cherish and share by Stephanie Valentin. Photography by Louisa Nicolaou.
Love What’s On Your Plate: Wholesome Recipes to Cherish & Share, will make you feel like a guest sitting at [Stephanie Valentine‘s] supper table learning all about her family, her traditions, and why homemade meals mean so much to her. This beautifully curated collection is more than just your average cookbook—it’s an invitation to embrace joyful, wholesome cooking.” —CANREADS Book Review
In this cookbook, love what’s on your plate means loving . . .
The experience of cooking and eating
The individual and blend of tastes
The knowledge that it’s good for you
The feelings of bonding and celebration
The traditions of the past—and the new ones you’re creating
A collection of over 100 delicious, well-balanced recipes designed to make cooking easy and enjoyable. Created by holistic nutritionist and passionate home cook Stephanie Valentine, this cookbook is filled with flavourful meals that bring people together.
✔ Simple & Nutritious – Wholesome, satisfying dishes without compromise.
✔ Perfect for Families – Tried-and-true favourites everyone will love.
✔ More Than Recipes – Includes exclusive guides and tips on: (more…)
A love letter to chocolate with 100 recipes to bake, taste and adore.
In this definitive collection, acclaimed pastry chef and baking expert Edd Kimber, winner of the first season of The Great British Bake Off, shares his passion for one of the world’s most beloved ingredients. You’ll find classic flavours like Chocolate and Whipped Caramel Cake, elegant layered creations such as Edd’s Hazelnut and Maple Milk Chocolate Tart, and irresistible desserts including Pistachio Tiramisu.
Edd also puts creative spins on familiar favourites with recipes like Miso and White Chocolate Cookies and S’mores Brownies, and guides readers through breads and pastries where chocolate plays a starring role, from Bistro Profiteroles to Sour Cherry Custard Buns with Cocoa Streusel.
Whether you’re baking for a special occasion or simply satisfying a weekday craving, there is something here for every kind of chocolate lover. Sometimes chocolate takes centre stage, sometimes it plays a supporting role, but every recipe is a celebration of its richness, versatility and irresistible appeal. Beautifully photographed and filled with Edd’s approachable expertise, this is a book bakers will return to long after the last crumb has disappeared.
Whether you’re baking for a special occasion or simply satisfying a weekday craving, there is something here for every kind of chocolate lover. Sometimes chocolate takes centre stage, sometimes it works quietly in the background, but every recipe celebrates the richness, versatility and pure pleasure of one of the world’s most beloved ingredients. Beautifully photographed and packed with inspiration, this is a book to return to again and again.
Chocolate Baking: The Ultimate Guide to Cakes, Cookies, Desserts & Pastries by Edd Kimber is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Indigo.ca.
Philly Classic from Skinny George’s Smash Burgers, 2241 Saint Laurent Boulevard, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Skinny George’s Smash Burgers operates out of Milano Pizza at 2241 Saint Laurent Boulevard. Which is where things begin to get complicated.
The sign outside says Milano Pizza, because it is Milano Pizza. There is also a Skinny George’s sign because it is also Skinny George’s Smash Burgers. Some people are eating pizza because, naturally, this is a pizza place. Others are eating smash burgers because it is also a burger joint.
And twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, it becomes something else entirely.
That’s when the cheesesteaks come out.
Not with fanfare. Not with a sign. Just handwritten notices taped to windows and counters, which in this case you probably should count as signage.
The phones ring like a telethon. These sandwiches are made in limited quantities, and every order is announced like an auction.
“Seventeen left.”
A few minutes later.
“Sixteen left.”
Suddenly it feels less like ordering dinner and more like trying to get World Cup tickets.
The atmosphere behind the counter appears chaotic. Phones ringing. Orders flying. Staff moving with what seems at first glance like chaos, though appearances can be deceiving. Everyone knows their role. Nobody seems worried. The operation hums along with the confidence of people who have done this hundreds of times.
At one point, a customer shouted toward the counter while heading to the washroom.
“We’re still here!”
Without missing a beat, someone behind the counter shouted back.
“Stay as long as you want. You’re family here.” (more…)
“More than just a cookbook – it’s a love letter to Sardinia” – Jamie Oliver
An exciting debut cookbook from a rising star in the world of Italian cooking!
Sardinia captures the true spirit of Mediterranean cooking. Here, you find a way of life filled with simple, fresh, seasonal ingredients, healthy fats and plenty of time spent cooking, eating and spending time with loved ones. Sardinia is, after all, one of only five designated “blue zones” in the world – where people live longer than anywhere else.
In Eat Like a Sardinian, chef Francesco Mattana invites you to discover the rich and varied food culture of the island, bringing together his experiences learning to cook from the women around him and years of teaching at Jamie Oliver’s Cookery School to create authentic, delicious home cooking recipes that everyone can master, with all the tips and tricks needed to get them right every time. Find the perfect small bite for your aperitivo hour, stock up your pantry with preserves, perfect your pasta and bread-making skills, learn how to entertain the Sardinian way with impressive fish, meat and vegetable dishes and finish it all off with a traditional dolci. Who knew healthy living could be so sweet?
Recipes include Francesco’s viral spaghetti al pomodoro, Italian lemon tart, roasted lamb with artichokes and potatoes, bruschetta with figs, and the “live to 100” minestrone.
Love What’s On Your Plate: Wholesome Recipes to Cherish & Share, will make you feel like a guest sitting at [
