Behind the Plate

Chef Joe Woodhouse is a chef-turned-food-photographer who is (admittedly) a wizard with veggies and with his camera. Chef Joe is the author of two veggie-based cookbooks - "Your Daily Veg" and "More Daily Veg" - and, his work and recipes have been featured in a number of magazines and publications. In our conversation, we chat about everything from how he grew up with food, to how to BOOST the fla...

Chef Mel Asseraf is not just a one time champion… she is a two time champion of Food Network’s Chopped - a show I grew up watching and playing in my own kitchen. Quite honestly, anyone who can make duck liver "work" in a dessert is an inspiration to me… Today, Chef Mel is a cookbook author, and the CEO of her own company - Bake it with Mel. In our conversation we chat about everything from how her...

Melissa Levin is a home cook and food content creator based in Baltimore, MD. She focusses on made-from-scratch food with the freshest ingredients (and... a whole lot of sourdough, of course). Since our chat - which was back in September 2024, Mel has left her full-time job to fully embrace her passion for cooking & dive all-in to her content creating business! As a fellow entrepreneur in the...

Chef Will Grant is the world pizza champion - so, if you’re looking for the best pizza tips toppings and secrets… you’re in the right spot. Chef Will is the owner and head chef of that’s a some pizza - a pizza restaurant located in Bainbridge Island that uses a 120 year old sourdough starter for the crust.. and yes, it’s kept people coming back for 120 years…In our conversation, we chat about how...

Chef Noel Cunningham is a multi-award-winning chef, cookbook author, and on-air personalty with an AMAZING food POV. If you’re looking to bring a lil’ Jamaican spice to your home in an accessible & entertaining way - Chef Noel is your guy. In this episode, we chat all about Jamaican food culture, his experience moving from Jamaica—> northern Manitoba —> Toronto, the inspiration behind hi...

Matt Ravenscroft (aka "TheDirtyRaven") is the KING of vegetables - or shall I say, the "Bob Ross of Vegetables". Matt brings such a fun & bright light to the world of veggies - helping you to build confidence cooking with them & learn how to create incredible flavours with fresh & local produce. In his words, Matt shares his tips, tricks, and best "vegetable recipes so you'll eat your...

Jesse Vallins is the executive chef of Barberian’s Steakhouse in TORONTO ON. Starting out as a musician, Jesse eventually transferred his love for arts into the culinary world - cooking up some of the best steaks in Toronto. But - it doesn’t stop there - Jesse also loves the world of food and beverage pairings… Specifically, BEER and food pairings! Tune into our conversation to learn how his journ...

Ryan Hinkson is the creator (and, might I say, the "genius") behind @eatfamous. You've probably seen his WILD food adventures on Instagram - and if not, I highly suggest you pop on over to see what he's up to. Ryan's food stories are always shared from a perspective of love, care, and fun. He went through his own journey with food towards a space of nourishment & positivity - and now, he passe...

Chef Nayeem Ashraf is the CEO of SHINEE Culinary School in Bangladesh (SHINEE stands for School of Hospitality and Integrated Education Epicenter). His passion for food, culinary arts, supporting youth in their learning & development, and using food as something to empower and lift other people UP is so inspiring. In our conversation we talk about everything from how he grew up around food, to...

Chef CoreyBelle Earling is a Florida-based private chef and former private chef for the GOAT - Tiger Woods! While you may also recognize her from Hell’s Kitchen, Chef Corey Belle has SO many more experiences to share. From travelling across the globe, to working in food styling, to serving at restaurants in Australia & Asia, to becoming a private chef in a beautiful Florida Town… Corey Belle h...

Chef Romain Avril is a French-Born chef based in Toronto. His sustainable approach to food features a delicious array of vegetables and local produce - transformed into dishes that are fun & unexpected! You may have seen him as a judge on Food Network Canada’s Top Chef, on Instagram/TikTok or on his YouTube Channel. In this conversation, we dive deeper into his journey from France to Canada, h...

Chef Elizabeth Falkner is yet another chef who has been a huge inspiration for my culinary journey. Her creativity, passion for culinary arts, kindness and happiness in the kitchen, and her ability to transform whole foods into the most delicious meals is incredible. Our conversation covers everything from her Apple TV Film "Sorry We're Closed"...to some of her travels around the world... to her c...

Simon Majumdar is a food author and traveller. He has written three books, appeared on many Food Network Shows, and is the host of the popular food podcast: "Eat My Globe".   Simon has been a huge inspiration in my personal food writing and podcasting journey - and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to chat with him about his food culture experiences, future travel plans, and greatest food mem...

I met Chef Maddy a few years back when she was just getting started on Insta - and I was blown awayyyy by her creativity, passion for flavour, and (quite honestly) she has the BIGGEST heart when it comes to sharing food and making a real difference in the community.    I was so excited to chat with her about her experiences as a woman in the restaurant industry, her “entry” to the culinary world,...

Ahhhhh - folks... I just chatted with CHEF WALLACE - though, you probably know him best as SixPackChef (@w2sixpackchef) on TikTok and Instagram. In this conversation, we dive deeper into the food stories, memories, and experiences that have shaped Wallace into the chef he is today. From chopping ginger with his grandparents to working in some of the most esteemed restaurants in Toronto to inspirin...

As a woman in the culinary world, I have always looked up to other strong women in the industry - Chef Erica being one of them, hands down. She has such a strong passion for food, for unique flavours, for “tasting the globe”, and for sharing her love through food.    In this podcast, we really dive deeper into her experiences with food across the globe, her cultural background (part Polish, part M...

Chef Marc Murphy is one of New York’s most celebrate chefs - and, one of my greatest culinary inspirations. His culinary knowledge and experiences paired with his drive to encourage others to cook for mental & physical wellbeing makes Chef Marc an inspirational Chef who has made an impactful mark (pun intended hehe) on the world of food. It's not too surprising if the name sounds familiar to y...