I had never eaten a proper Sunday roast. Not once. For someone who has spent a considerable portion of his life eating things on purpose, this seemed like a fairly serious oversight.
So I decided to fix it.
A quick search led me to The Cheshire Cat in Carp, about a 30 minute drive from home. I enlisted a few friends because if I was going to finally eat a Sunday roast, I wanted witnesses. Or accomplices.
The pub is tucked away in Carp, just off the highway, in a setting that feels a world away from the city. It is not exactly where you expect to stumble upon a memorable meal, which made discovering one there all the more satisfying.
We started with drinks in the outdoor lounge before moving to the patio. September had begun making its presence known, so the overhead heaters and blankets were a nice touch. The place was bustling, but the staff never seemed rattled by it. The servers were funny, kind and attentive without hovering, a quality that should be easier to find than it is. They made us feel less like customers and more like people who had somehow been invited over for dinner and were now expected to eat everything.
Dazzle your guests with enticing seasonal menus and eye catching décor all year round.
Packed with vibrant photographs and helpful tips for all your hosting needs, Gather Together takes the stress out of entertaining with more than 100 food and décor ideas for every holiday and occasion. From showstopping centerpieces to mouthwatering bites, this book is organized by season and offers recipes for appetizers, drinks, meals and desserts, along with beautiful DIY decorations.
Begin your hosting adventure by reviewing the foundational elements of a welcoming, stylish table, from linens and cutlery to essential tools and equipment. All can be affordably sourced at big box stores or supermarkets. Then dive into easy to create decorations and recipes for seasonal celebrations, including:
Picnic in the Sun
An elevated spread under dappled sunlight, complete with a blanket, basket and low table. The menu features creamy Coconut Custard and fruit served on Marvelous Mini Pavlovas, along with a refreshing Raspberry Mint Green Tea.
Al Fresco Dinner
An elegant open air affair that embraces the beauty of nature, featuring a table set with herb bouquet place markers. The menu includes Smoked Pineapple Pork Skewers drizzled with Chimichurri Sauce and a Rosemary Lemonade Fizz. (more…)
Coconut Cream Cupcakes excerpted from Better Than Grandma’s, Comfort Desserts We Grew Up Loving co-written by Justin Ellen and Brianna Ellen. Photography by Paul Johnson.
Better Than Grandma’s by Justin Ellen
Your grandma’s recipes have met their match.
Inspired by the Nana who first made Justin Ellen fall in love with baking, Better Than Grandma’s brings more than 80 nostalgic desserts into the modern kitchen. Think rich cakes, gooey brownies, pies, cookies and breakfast bakes, all reimagined to be richer, softer and completely foolproof.
Justin, the baker behind Everything Just Baked, started baking at 16, selling custom cakes while still in high school. Since then, he has created desserts for celebrities and chefs and taught millions of people online how to bake with more confidence, joy and creativity.
At the heart of it all is the same love of baking he discovered in the kitchen with his Nana.
Every recipe comes with clear instructions and a step by step video, making it easy for bakers of all levels to succeed. No shortcuts. No complicated techniques. Just really good, homemade baking. (more…)
Growing up, my parents’ house was dinner party central. Christmas, New Year’s, birthdays, anniversaries and the occasional “come on over for dinner” all seemed to end up in the same kitchen.
My mom’s food was always at the centre of it, which is probably why no one ever seemed in a hurry to leave. There was always room for one more, and somehow there always seemed to be someone who needed a place at the table.
After she passed, I found her dinner party notes. They were more like quiet dispatches from a life lived in courses: menus, ingredients, little reminders and glimpses of all the meals she had prepared for family and friends over the years.
In this series, I’m going back through those notes and recreating one dish from each dinner party. I’ll share the recipe along with her handwritten notes, part memory and part reconstruction, and the stories behind the food I grew up with.
It is also a way of understanding where my own passion for cooking came from.
Because long after the plates were cleared and the guests went home, her food memories never really left the table.
A Life Lived in Courses
September 16, 1995
It was Saturday, September 16, 1995, the beginning of fall. The new television season was getting underway. The days were getting shorter, Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill was everywhere, and the Expos were still giving Montreal baseball fans something to talk about, even if they weren’t giving us much to celebrate.
The Quebec referendum was six weeks away. We were living in Ontario, so my parents couldn’t vote, but they were very interested in what was happening. Bill Clinton was in the White House. Jean Chrétien was Prime Minister. The war in Bosnia was still dominating the international news, and Pope John Paul II was travelling in Africa.
The O.J. Simpson trial was still on television almost every day. And gas was about 55 cents a litre in Canada, or $1.11 a gallon in the United States.
Any of that might have come up over dinner that night. Or maybe not. There would have been plenty of other things to talk about: family news, neighbourhood gossip, work, television, sports, or whatever had happened that week.
Because this was dinner at my parents’ house.
The guests were my parents and their longtime friends Hélène and her husband, Jean-Marc. Hélène was my mother’s best friend. They had been close for years, and I honestly don’t remember a time when she wasn’t part of our family life. (more…)
Zucchini Fritters excerpted from My Greek Mom’s Recipes: She Died. I Wrote This Cookbook by Gus Constantellis. Photography by Sheneur Menaker.
Classic Greek recipes with a side of humour and heart.
Stand up comedian Gus Constantellis draws inspiration for his material and online content from his family, especially his mother, Julia, who became a social media star and “Greek mother” to an entire online community. When she died suddenly in August 2023, that community mourned with him.
My Greek Mom’s Recipes is Gus’s deeply personal tribute to his mother, an immigrant who never learned English yet managed to achieve the American dream. Every dish comes with a story about Julia, making this cookbook as much a celebration of family as it is a collection of recipes.
Equal parts hilarious and heartfelt, the book offers a comedian’s candid look at grief and family. It will resonate with anyone who has ever had an overbearing but fiercely loving mother, the kind who expresses affection through food, tough love and a whole lot of opinions.
And the 75 recipes themselves are the real deal. Because if there was one thing Julia was known for, besides her razor sharp humour, it was her unforgettable cooking.
Food is a powerful form of medicine, and cooking is magic: the everyday alchemy that transforms simple ingredients into meals to nourish your body, nurture your soul, and bring your loved ones together around the table.
In Plant Based Magic, clinical herbalist Lisanna Wallance draws on her knowledge of herbal medicine and modern nutrition to offer more than 100 entirely plant based, gluten free, seasonal recipes designed to support energy, digestion, immune function and more.
Because she believes that magic doesn’t have to be a mystery, every recipe shares the science behind its revitalizing effects. From a citrus and sugar snap pea salad rich in vitamins C and B3 to promote glowing skin, to roasted eggplant packed with brain supporting antioxidants, these recipes combine nourishing ingredients with practical nutritional insight.
Inside, you’ll find:
Seasonal mains: Adaptogenic Stuffed Zucchini for Stress; White Bean Soup for Digestion; Crispy Kohlrabi Steaks for Detox
Simple sides and lighter bites: Maple-Roasted Roots for Immunity; Parsnip, Leek, and Orange Soup for Serenity; Honeydew-Basil Salad for Hydration
Healthy desserts: Strawberry-Lemon Squares for Euphoria; Rosemary-Clementine Cake for Cognition
Potent “potions”: TranquiliTea for Deep Sleep; Balancing Chia Lemonade for Satiety; Flower Vinaigrette for Radiant Skin
This is a book for anyone ready to take their wellness seriously without sacrificing pleasure. Plant Based Magic encourages you to turn every meal into a wholesome, joyful and even magical act of self care. (more…)
Le Louis Cyr, Ma Poule Mouillée, 969, rue Rachel Est, Montréal, QC.
Every time I go to Montreal, I make a promise to myself: this time, I am going to try somewhere new.
Montreal has an almost embarrassing number of great restaurants. I have a list. I have recommendations. I have friends who send me messages that begin with, “You have to try this place.” There is no shortage of places to eat.
And yet, sooner or later, I find myself at Ma Poule Mouillée eating chicken.
At this point, it is less a restaurant visit than a failure of character.
Ma Poule Mouillée has been serving Portuguese charcoal grilled chicken in the Plateau Mont Royal since 2013. It is famous, there is almost always a lineup, and nobody seems particularly concerned about keeping it a secret. You stand outside with everyone else, watching people walk out carrying enough food to feed a small wedding, and think, yes, this is probably where I belong.
The chicken is the reason.
Charcoal does a lot of heavy lifting here, in the best possible way. The skin gets smoky and deeply seasoned while the meat stays juicy, and then there is the sauce. The restaurant makes a big deal about its house spicy sauce, and for once the promotional copy is not lying. Chef Tony Alves has said that anyone can grill a chicken, but it is the sauce that makes the difference.
Egg Curry excerpted from Chetna’s 5-Ingredient Indian: Delicious Recipes Made Easy by Chetna Makan. Photography by Nassima Rothacker.
Save time and money with delicious, home-cooked Indian meals that use just five ingredients
Cooking a delicious meal from scratch doesn’t have to be complicated. With Chetna Makan‘s newest book, you can make flavorful Indian dishes with five simple ingredients.
Chetna’s 5 Ingredient Indian combines bold flavours and straightforward cooking methods, allowing you to enjoy delicious Indian cuisine with minimal fuss. You’ll be amazed at what you can do with just five ingredients.
From salads, dals and curries to snacks and desserts, these recipes are quick, simple and suited to every taste. You’ll find:
– Spice blends such as Chaat Masala and Tandoori Masala to build the foundations of your meals
– Dals such as Palak Dal (Spinach Lentils) and Whole Masoor Dal (Brown Lentils)
– Snacks such as Masala Papad and Sev (Gram Flour Noodles)
– Main meals such as Cod Fish Curry and Tandoori Murg (Roast Chicken)
Entertain friends and family with these effortless yet impressive that bring a taste of India into your home. (more…)
Zucchini-Eggplant “Parm” with pomodoro sauce, cashew béchamel, basil oil, and garlic breadcrumbs excerpted from La Copine: New California Cooking from an Oasis in the Desert by Claire Wadsworth, Nikki Hill, and Ben Mims. Photography by Gentl & Hyers.
Bon Appétit, Best New Cookbooks of Spring 2026
From La Copine, a destination restaurant near Joshua Tree, comes a beautiful debut cookbook with stories of life in the desert and recipes that capture a unique approach to California cooking.
Out in the California desert near Joshua Tree, La Copine spins its own kind of magic, powered by business and life partners Claire Wadsworth and Nikki Hill, the drama of the landscape, the eclectic local population, and of course, the irresistible food.
With celebrity clientele and glowing reviews in the New York Times, Eater, Vogue, and others, this restaurant is beloved by California visitors and locals alike. In their debut cookbook, La Copine, Wadsworth and Hill share stories of their love, life, community, and the spirit of La Copine, one delicious recipe at a time.
Dubbed the West Coast’s answer to Via Carota’s Rita and Jody, Wadsworth and Hill are passionate, community driven, California cooks with a deep love for each other and the people around them. They welcome their guests to La Copine (which means “girlfriend” in French) with open arms, create a safe haven for the queer community outside of Los Angeles, and have a deep sense of care and pride for everything they put on the plate.
Home cooks will want to adopt the restaurant’s “California soul” style: veggie forward, innovative yet comforting, light enough for lunch, yet substantial enough to gather around and linger over. From “hunky” salads, as described by the New York Times, to special occasion sandwiches, summery, boldly flavoured grilled meats and vegetables, and simple no bake desserts, La Copine’s food roams far and wide but always imparts a sense of home. (more…)
Family recipes are funny things. Some come with impeccable provenance. Ours comes with rumours. Everyone credits my grandmother, but nobody seems to know where she got it. Since then, every generation has quietly “improved” the recipe until the finished product bears only a passing resemblance to whatever she was actually making in the first place.
Our spaghetti sauce has been in the family for generations. It is almost certainly pushing one hundred years old.
According to family lore, someone in my family, perhaps my grandparents, perhaps my great grandparents, lived above an Italian restaurant in Montreal. The owner supposedly shared the recipe. At least that’s what my mom always told me.
Naturally, I assumed I’d uncover some wonderful story about an old neighbourhood trattoria, a generous Italian cook and a treasured handwritten recipe.
Instead, I found absolutely nothing.
I spent countless hours digging through census records, city directories, birth certificates, immigration records, newspaper archives and old Montreal addresses trying to identify this mysterious restaurant. I uncovered plenty about my family.
