No Recipe Required with Lesley Taylor

You can read this post and see photos on Substack . The wines tasted were: Trius 2024 Rosé Stratus 2025 Cabernet Franc Rosé Domaine Lafage Miraflors Rosé Instagram Link Canada Day Wines Substack link to Skin Contact Pinot Grigio

You can read this post and see photos on my Substack . Please support me in my Aprons In Action challenge. Follow me on Instagram .

I’m trying something different for the next few weeks and I’d love your feedback. Since I’ve kind of let the podcast fall off the radar, I was thinking that I’d actually offer an audio version of this post for people who’d rather listen than read. The two formats will be pretty much the same (I’ll try not to leave out anything important in either version. So, if you’d like to listen, click the lin...

For this episode I did an on-site interview with Shana (nickname, "Bean") who is the owner and baker at a new cupcake shop in my neighbourhood of Leslieville (east-end Toronto) called Baked By Bean . She gave me her origin story, what brought her to Canada, her education and work experience, and how she finally got the courage to open up her own shop. Then we talk specifics about baking,...

In this episode I had the honour and pleasure of speaking with a local Toronto Executive Chef and Restaurateur, John Sinopoli. John is the owner of the Ascari Group, currently operating the restaurant Abrielle, a coastal Mediterranean restaurant in the Sutton Place Hotel in Toronto. Besides sharing his experience and philosophy about food and wine, this episode is jam packed with John's tips o...

In this episode, Tyler and I talk about all things pizza from the dough, to the sauce, the cheese, and pizza ovens. We have a few segues into other things related to pizza (including whether pineapple belongs on pizza) and some of our favourite pizza places. If you want Tyler's dough recipe, check out my most recent Substack post. Here are the links to a few of the books, products, and Instagr...

This is another cross-over episode between the podcast and my Substack newsletter where ou can read about my cake baking escapades with my 10-year-old friend, Isla. We made a vanilla cake with strawberry cream cheese frosting. Link to Substack Link to Vegan Cake You can also follow me on Instagram @Noreciperequired.ca

You can read more about my wine tasting experiment in this week's Substack newsletter: https://open.substack.com/pub/noreciperequired/p/canada-vs-the-world-riesling To read and/or subscribe to my other food- and wine-related content, follow me on Substack, here: https://noreciperequired.substack.com/ The wines we tasted and reviewed were: Domaine St-Jacques, Riesling 2022, Vin du Québec (IGP), $23...

In this episode I'm chatting with my online friend, Cristina, who has a Lemonade stand in her home state of Georgia. We talk about how she got started in the business, what her recipe is for perfect lemonade, her tips for starting up a small food business, and some funny customer stories. You can follow her on Instagram @_Limonista . And, if you're not already subscribed to my weekly newsletter on...

This is a companion episode to go along with my most recent Substack Newsletter on How To Choose A Wine . If you're a subscriber, that would have been in your inbox on Tuesday morning. It's free to subscribe and I write content about food, wine, cooking, baking, and home economics. In the newsletter, I recommended four wines - all Cabernet Sauvignon - from four different regions. So I thou...

In this episode, Cousin Jano and I talk about our recent trip down to the Niagara region for a wine tour. We visited six wineries over two days, and on the second day we actually walked from one winery to the next, covering a total of about 11 kilometers! We actually don't talk in much detail about the specific wines we drank, we focused more on the experience we had at each of the wineries. If yo...

In this episode I chat with Lisa Dickie of Dickie's Cooking School in the east end of Toronto. We talk about how she got started, the kinds of programs she offers, and also about our (mutual) philosophies around cooking with or without a recipe. She has a great handout on her website for pantry staples, and she recently shared a quick tip on Instagram for how to measure butter! I also tease what's...

This is a cross-over episode with content from my most recent Substack newsletter. If you're not already subscribed and following me there, here is the link . The two Syrah/Shiraz wines I'm talking about in this episode are: François Villard L'appel des Sereines Syrah 2020, Saint-Michel-sur-Rhône, France ($22.95 at the LCBO,) 13% ABV, 3g sugar/L. Thompson Estate Four Chambers Shiraz 20...

Just a quick update on what's new in the No Recipe Required world! Here's the link to subscribe to my weekly newsletter on Substack (contrary to what I said in the episode, there is no "dot CA" in my account name there): https://substack.com/@noreciperequired Thanks for listening and supporting me for the last 3 years!

No notes... just listen to the randomness of this episode. And if you're reading this and can tell me how many times I used the word "random" in my intro and outro, maybe I'll have a prize for you!

Since 2024 has just started and this is the first episode of the year, I'm calling this a new season, so welcome to Season 5, Episode 1 of the No Recipe Required Podcast! This episode with my dear friend and co-host, Leo Troy, really is quite random, hence the title "The Random Episode." I talk a bit about the wine I was drinking, how sourdough bread is made, New Year's resolutio...

In this episode I give you some new content and tips on cooking a turkey, as well as how to simplify your holiday meal prep by doing things in advance. Tourtière can be very divisive, and I give my thoughts on what makes for a traditional tourtière spice blend. I finish off with some wine selections that might be worth a bit of a splurge from what you normally spend on a bottle of wine. After all,...

Here are the wines I talked about in this episode: ⁠ https://www.lcbo.com/en/gerard-bertrand-pollinat-syrah-29506 ⁠ Gerard Bertrand Pollinat’ Syrah $15.95 Sud de France ⁠ https://www.lcbo.com/en/quinta-da-rede-reserva-2017-431742 ⁠ Quinta da Rede Reserva 2017 $20.95 Douro, Portugal ⁠ https://www.lcbo.com/en/colchester-ridge-crew-meritage-2016-426833⁠ Colchester Ridge CREW Meritage 2020 $23.95 VQA...

In this episode I chat with my cousin, Alexander, who is a product consultant at the LCBO in Toronto. He LOVES Riesling, so he was the perfect person to have on to talk about all things Riesling. In the previous episode, I gave you my thoughts on the Pierre Sparr Riesling from Alsace that was this month's Wine Club selection. While Alexander and I talk about Riesling as it's made in Canada...

Please don't turn your nose up at Riesling! The wine I've chosen this month is a dry Riesling from Alsace (France.) Pierre Sparr Grande Réserve Riesling 2020, $18.95 If you can't find this exact wine, look for a Riesling from Alsace (France) that has 5-7g of sugar per Litre. This one has 6g/L. Many popular red wines are in the 4-7g/L range, in fact, the Ripasso we tasted last month had...

Here are the wines we tasted on this episode: No Recipe Required Wine Tasting Club Selection: Louis Bouillot Perle d'Aurore Brut Rosé Crémant de Bourgogne, $27.95 Cousin Jano's other favourite sparkling wines: Veuve Ambal Crémant de Bourgogne Grande Cuvée Brut, France (Burgundy) $23.65 De Chanceny Crémant de Loire Rosé Brut, France (Loire) $23.10 (on sale from $26.60 until August 13th) Châ...

There are 2 reviews in this episode: first, I give my review of a new book by wine writer Natalie MacLean called "Wine Witch On Fire: Rising from the ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking too much." I was a beta reader for this memoir, and I've heard Natalie speak about it in person at her book launch as well as on her own podcast, The Unreserved Wine Talk Podcast with Natalie M...

Welcome to Season 4 of the No Recipe Required Podcast! We're taking a 90 degree turn, but not too far off what the podcast is about since we'll be talking about wine for the next several months. I've started a free Wine Tasting Club (free to join, you just have to buy the wine yourself) so that we can try new things and compare notes. If you want to be a guest on the podcast to talk ab...

In this episode, Arlene and I start by talking about how she came to be cast in the Degrassi series of kids' shows back in the '80s/'90s and then how her love and talent for Graphic Design helped her create a side gig baking artful cakes and pies. She also shares her secrets and tips for perfect pie decorating and baking, so be sure to have a pen/paper handy to take notes. You can (and...

In this episode, Jano and I start off talking about childhood cereals, and then move into memories about beverages - both non-alcoholic and alcoholic. Hope you enjoy this gastronomical trip down memory lane.