Recipes – Culinary Travels

The Modern Holiday Recipe Series: Chef Nuit Regular’s Yum Kanom Jin

25 November 2025

For this series, we asked four renowned chefs share their favourite hosting tips and the non-traditional recipes they cook for gatherings with their loved ones. Here, Toronto-based chef Nuit Regular shares her recipe for Yum Kanom Jin (Rice Vermicelli Noodle Salad).

Toronto-based chef Nuit Regular, the force behind restaurants like Kiin and Pai, is known for bringing the heart of northern Thai cooking to Canadian tables. For the holidays, she leans into that heritage while making entertaining easy and joyful.

“I love to make Yum Kanom Jeen for the holidays, which is a Thai noodle salad,” she says. “I prepare everything in advance and just assemble the day of. It’s an easy dish to make for gatherings while showcasing my Thai heritage at the same time.”

Regular explains that holiday cooking for her is about connecting to her roots while creating a relaxed space for friends and family.

“We have a tradition every Christmas of getting together with my husband Jeff’s high school friends. They were so warm and welcoming when I came to Canada. We do a potluck, deciding in advance who will bring what. Because everyone is so busy, it’s wonderful to meet once a year to catch up. It’s all about enjoying each other’s company and great food.”

Hosting Tip: “Prep as much as you can in advance. On the day of, you’ll be busy and want to spend time with your family or guests. I love just reheating and assembling before the gathering. Braised meats or curries are perfect—they taste even better the next day!”

Recipe: Yum Kanom Jin (Rice Vermicelli Noodle Salad)

By Chef Nuit Regular

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 package (300 g) dried rice vermicelli noodles
¼ cup water
1 tsp salt
1 lb (450 g) ground pork
⅓ cup sunflower oil
¼ cup Thai garlic
cloves, unpeeled (or peeled regular garlic, finely minced)
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
¼ cup fish sauce
1 Tbsp cane sugar
1 Tbsp chilli powder (or 1½ tsp for milder flavour)
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems, finely chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Method
Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a saucepan over high heat, bring water and salt to a boil. Add ground pork and cook, stirring, until no longer pink. Drain and set aside.

In a skillet over medium heat, heat sunflower oil. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Stir in fish sauce and sugar until dissolved. Add lime juice and chilli powder, mix well.

Add noodles and pork, toss to combine. Top with cilantro and green onions. Serve immediately.

Excerpted from Kiin by Nuit Regular. Copyright © 2020 by Nuit Regular. Photography copyright © 2020 by Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott. Published by Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

Try this Classic Baklava Recipe for a Taste of Türkiye

25 November 2025

Layered, flaky and syrup-soaked: explore the heritage of Türkiye’s beloved pastry with this recipe.

Few desserts capture a sense of place the way baklava does. In Türkiye, this golden, flaky pastry is more than something sweet to finish a meal — it’s a symbol of craftsmanship, celebration and centuries of culinary heritage. Across the country, baklava is offered to guests as a gesture of hospitality, shared during family gatherings, enjoyed with strong tea or Turkish coffee and lovingly passed from one generation to the next.

While baklava’s exact origins are layered in history, one enduring version traces back to the kitchens of the Ottoman Empire, where master bakers perfected the technique of rolling dough so thin it becomes almost translucent. Today, this cherished dessert is protected as part of Türkiye’s Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO, underscoring its cultural significance and meticulous preparation.

There are countless regional variations: havuc dilimi (carrot-slice baklava), midye baklava (mussel-shaped baklava), bülbül yuvası (nightingale’s nest), and many more. Some are made with walnuts, others with pistachios, and some enriched with cream or shaped into coils and swirls. But one thing remains constant: great baklava is the product of patience, precision and a generous pour of warm syrup to bring the layers to life.

The recipe below comes courtesy of the Turkish Tourism Board, adapted from the southeastern province of Gaziantep, a culinary capital known for producing some of Türkiye’s most exquisite baklava.

Authentic Turkish Baklava (Gaziantep Style)

Serves: 10

Ingredients

Syrup

600 g sugar
500 ml water
10 ml lemon juice

Dough

500 g all-purpose flour
2 eggs
80 ml water
15 ml olive oil
10 ml lemon juice
1–4 tsp salt
80 g starch (for rolling)
220 g Antep pistachios or walnuts, coarsely crushed
500 g butter or clarified butter (ghee)

Method

Prepare the syrup:
Mix sugar and water in a small saucepan and heat gently until dissolved. Increase heat and boil for 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and boil for another minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
Make the dough:
Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the eggs, water, olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Knead until you have a firm dough. Divide into 20 equal pieces, shape into balls and dust with starch. Cover with a cloth so they don’t dry out.
Roll the dough:
Roll each ball into a thin sheet, sprinkling starch often to keep it from sticking. Continue rolling until the sheets become paper-thin.
Start building the layers:
Stack the first 10 sheets of dough one by one in a greased baking tray (38–40 cm round). Brush each layer generously with melted butter. Trim any dough hanging over the edges.
Add the filling:
Evenly distribute the crushed pistachios or walnuts over the 10 buttered layers. Cut off any excess dough around the pan.
Finish layering:
Add the remaining 10 sheets of dough, brushing butter between each layer. With a sharp knife, cut the baklava into diamond or square pieces.
Bake:
Melt the butter and pour it evenly over the baklava. Place in a preheated 400°F oven and bake for 40–45 minutes, or until golden.
Syrup and serve:
Remove from the oven and immediately pour the cooled syrup over the hot baklava. Allow it to soak slowly. Let cool before serving.

The Veal Deal: Cooking Wiener Schnitzel in Vienna

11 November 2025

Vienna’s Wrenkh brothers teach the art of schnitzel and invite travellers to taste Austria’s heritage, one cutlet at a time.

By Ann Ruppenstein

When it comes to preparing Wiener schnitzel, the golden, deep-fried veal cutlets that are a staple of Austrian cuisine, chef Leo Wrenkh has a straightforward approach for beginners. “There’s a simple rule,” he explains from the cooking studio at Wrenkh, both a restaurant and a culinary school in Vienna. “Small cuts mean small mistakes and big cuts mean big mistakes—so we’re making little schnitzels because that’s easier.”

As children, Leo and his brother Karl followed their parents into the kitchen. Although their grandmother came from a family of butchers, their parents went on to establish Vienna’s first top-rated vegetarian restaurant. “Growing up above the restaurant, the kitchen felt more like a living room to us. We have vivid memories of sneaking sweet bites from the chefs or being kicked out by our furious mother,” he recalls. “Later, we took over the restaurant at quite a young age. Karl had just returned from a job in Switzerland and I was still doing my military service. There were even moments when I had no time to change and had to cook in uniform.”

While the menu at Wrenkh now includes meat, the brothers emphasize top-quality, fresh and locally sourced ingredients. “Taste always comes first,” Leo says. “We focus on fresh, healthy ingredients, simple preparation methods and enjoying the perfect moment together.”

Launched in 2019, the cooking school reflects that vision: “to share our love and passion for the culinary arts—and to turn strangers into friends through the experience.”

It’s fitting, as their cookbook Vom Glück Gemeinsam Zu Essen translates to the good fortune of eating together. “We believe there’s nothing better than a fresh, home-cooked meal,” Leo says. “Our goal is to inspire our guests to recreate the experience at home with their family and friends. Cooking is the international language of friendship—it can bring people together across borders, cultures and even oceans.”

In addition to breading the veal cutlets and cooking them in oil until they are crispy and golden brown, today’s menu includes Viennese-style potato salad. “We know it can be a bit strange for our guests who do not come from Austria or Germany that we eat schnitzel with potato salad,” he says. “The potato salad has a simple dressing—it’s red onion, vinegar, sunflower oil, salt and pepper, and more sugar than you might expect. The more sugar you put in the salad, the more traditional it tastes.”

As Wrenkh also specializes in vegetarian offerings, participants prepare mushroom schnitzel made from oyster mushrooms, which crackle and crisp in the hot pan much like veal. “I think that’s what makes travel nice—to experience things that are really unique to a place, and the mushroom schnitzel here is one of those unique things—the Wrenkh brothers’ mushroom schnitzel,” he adds. “Then we get rid of all the knives and I’ll be more relaxed.”

In between preparing dishes, participants help themselves to the beverage bar, which features sparkling, white and red wine, fresh juices and water. “We want to prove to you that cooking together can be fun and relaxing,” Leo says. “Our invitation to everyone is to spend more time in the kitchen, less in the office. Fewer stressful meetings, more steaming casseroles.”

Although Wrenkh now has an identity of its own, Austrian cuisine, Leo notes, is shaped by many cultures. “Austrian cuisine is, in many ways, a misconception itself. It’s actually a great example of traditional fusion food—a result of Vienna being the melting pot of the former Habsburg Empire,” he says. “Just look at Wiener schnitzel from Italy, dumplings from Bohemia, goulash from Hungary, and strudel and coffee from the Ottomans.”

But while there are misconceptions, some things ring true. “We all kind of sound like Arnold Schwarzenegger,” Leo says with a smile. “I’m told that’s kind of charming.”

Recipe: Wiener Schnitzel (Breaded Veal Cutlets)

Ingredients

600g veal escalope, pounded until about 0.5 cm thick, edges trimmed
2 eggs
2 tbsp. milk
Salt
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
Oil or lard for frying
Lemon slices
Parsley for garnish

Instructions
Lightly season the veal with salt. Cut into thin slices with a sharp knife. Place flour, beaten eggs with milk and breadcrumbs in three shallow bowls. Dip the veal in flour first, then in the eggs, then in the breadcrumbs, ensuring it is completely covered.

Fry in hot oil deep enough so the schnitzel floats while cooking. Swish gently with a fork to prevent sticking. Turn once and fry until both sides are golden brown. Drain and serve hot with fresh lemon and Viennese-style potato salad.

Protein swap: Pork cutlets can be prepared the same way, using pumpkin seeds mixed with breadcrumbs in a 3:1 ratio.

Recipe: Viennese-Style Potato Salad

Ingredients

600g potatoes
60g onion or spring onion, finely chopped
1 cup broth (beef, chicken or vegetable)
3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
6 tbsp. olive oil or pumpkin seed oil
Tarragon or Dijon mustard (optional)
Honey or sugar, to taste (optional)
Salt and pepper

Instructions
Cook the potatoes in salted water for about 20 minutes until tender. Drain, cool slightly, peel and slice finely. Place in a large bowl while still warm, add the onion and pour over the warm broth. Toss with vinegar and oil and season to taste. Stir until creamy. Adjust flavour with mustard or sugar if desired. Garnish with chives and field salad.

Three Spooky Cocktails to Shake up This Halloween

28 October 2025

Try these sinister sips straight from the Black Lagoon pop-up.

This Halloween season, the Black Lagoon Pop-Up is taking over bars across Canada — transforming them into gothic, candlelit lairs complete with eerie décor, haunting playlists, and theatrically dark cocktails. Running until October 31, the immersive event invites guests to toast the spooky season in style.

If you can’t make it to the bar before it vanishes back into the depths, recreate the magic at home with three of the Black Lagoon’s signature cocktails below. We’ve listed the ingredients — and linked to their how-to videos on social media so you can mix up your own Halloween spirits.

Creature’s Curse

A smoky-sweet elixir where rye, rum, and sherry conjure fall flavours.

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Lot 40 Rye
0.5 oz Kraken Gold Rum
0.125 oz Lustau Amontillado Sherry
0.25 oz sweet potato syrup
1 dash Bitter Queens Figgy Bitters

Learn how to make it here.

Hellraiser

A devilishly smooth mix of tequila, spiced rum, banana, and oat orgeat — tropical heat with a hint of mischief.

Ingredients:

1.5 oz blanco tequila
0.5 oz spiced rum
0.25 oz triple sec
0.25 oz Amontillado sherry
0.25 oz Giffard Banane
0.75 oz spiced oat orgeat
0.75 oz lime juice
2 dashes aromatic bitters

Learn how to make it here.

Nocturna Colada

A sultry, after-dark riff on the classic colada — where coffee, coconut, and passionfruit meet in moonlit harmony.

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Kraken Black Rum
0.5 oz Kraken Gold Rum
0.5 oz Mr Black Coffee Liqueur
0.75 oz passionfruit
0.75 oz coconut
1 oz pineapple juice
1 dash Bitter Queens Coffee Cardamom Bitters

Learn how to make it here.

Four Top-Rated Recipes for That Leftover Turkey

14 October 2025

These four recipes turn leftover Thanksgiving turkey into delicious new meals.

Turkey Tetrazzini — Spend With Pennies

This creamy, cheesy pasta bake by Holly Nilsson has earned cult status among Thanksgiving survivors. Tender turkey, mushrooms, and spaghetti are folded into a rich homemade sauce (no canned soup shortcuts) and baked until golden and bubbling. It’s comfort food at its finest — and with hundreds of rave reviews, it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

Leftover Turkey Panini — Ree Drummond

Leave it to the Pioneer Woman to make leftovers feel indulgent. Ree’s hot-pressed turkey panini layers slices of roasted turkey with cheese and cranberry sauce, creating a crisp, gooey sandwich that feels like a post-holiday reward. Watching her make it might be half the fun.

Thanksgiving Quesadilla — AllRecipes

Turkey, cheddar, green onion, jalapeño, and cranberry sauce — folded in tortillas and grilled to perfection. This quesadilla recipe has become a repeat favourite on Allrecipes because it’s fast, fun, and cleverly balances savoury and sweet.

Leftover Thanksgiving Salad — Delish

When you’re ready for something lighter, this salad brings new life to the leftovers in your fridge. Stuffing turns into crisp croutons, roasted vegetables and turkey make it hearty, and cranberry sauce is whisked into a bright vinaigrette. It’s refreshing without feeling like a compromise.

A Fall Classic: Homemade Apple Strudel

30 September 2025

Apple-picking season is in full swing across Canada, which means baskets of crisp fruit just waiting to be transformed into something special. Enter apple strudel: layers of flaky pastry wrapped around tender apples, sweet raisins and a buttery crunch. It’s easier than you think with this recipe, which keeps things simple using store-bought puff pastry.

Apple Strudel Recipe

Ingredients

3 to 4 large apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
½ cup raisins
½ cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (about 225 g), thawed
2 tbsp butter, melted
¼ cup bread crumbs

Method

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine apples, raisins, sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice. Toss to coat.
Roll out puff pastry on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle, about 12 x 14 inches.
Brush pastry with melted butter, then sprinkle evenly with bread crumbs.
Spoon the apple mixture along one long edge, leaving a 1-inch border. Carefully roll up the pastry over the filling, tucking in the sides as you go, to form a log. Place seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
Brush the strudel with remaining melted butter.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.
Let cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm, dusted with icing sugar, alongside whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Celebrate National Guacamole Day with This Celeb Chef Recipe

15 September 2025

September 16 marks National Guacamole Day, and what better way to celebrate than with a recipe from one of America’s most recognizable chefs? Bobby Flay, who’s built a career blending bold flavours with approachable techniques, has been known to throw down on everything from burgers to tacos — but his guacamole has become a signature in its own right.

Guacamole is the rare dish that’s both timeless and endlessly customizable. In his TikTok demo, Flay builds his guacamole the way he builds most of his food — layering flavour. He mashes ripe Hass avocados just enough to stay chunky, then folds in finely diced red onion, minced serrano chiles, cilantro, fresh lime juice, and plenty of kosher salt. Whatever you do, he says, do not add tomatoes to your guac (yes, chef).

Try it at home:

Mash three ripe avocados in a bowl until chunky.
Stir in red onion, serrano chile, tomato, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, and salt to taste.
Serve right away with tortilla chips — or let it rest a few minutes so the flavours meld.

The beauty of this recipe is that it’s adaptable. Add extra lime for brightness, or more spice, if you like it hot. However you mix it, guacamole is the ultimate party trick: fast, fresh, and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

Celebrate your Last Vegetable Harvests with a Sicilian Classic: Pasta alla Norma

2 September 2025

Late summer in Italy is a sensory feast. Markets overflow with tomatoes that practically glow from within, basil perfuming the air in bunches, and eggplants so glossy they look lacquered. In Montefollonico, where Tuscan Women Cook welcomes guests for immersive culinary adventures, these ingredients star in seasonal favourites like tomato bruschetta and panzanella salad. But when the eggplants ripen, the program takes its inspiration southward — to Sicily, home of the iconic Pasta alla Norma.

Named in honour of Vincenzo Bellini’s beloved opera Norma, the dish has long been considered a masterpiece of Sicilian cuisine: a perfect harmony of fried (or roasted) eggplant, bright tomato sauce, torn basil, and a snowfall of ricotta salata. “The secret to a memorable Pasta alla Norma is in the eggplant,” says Coleen Kirnan, owner of Tuscan Women Cook. “Frying transforms eggplant into something almost meaty, while roasting provides a lighter, equally delicious version.” Either way, it’s a dish that captures Sicily at its peak — humble ingredients, handled simply, creating something that tastes like the last few days of summer.

Recipe: Pasta alla Norma

Yield: 4 first-course servings
Recipe and photo reprinted with permission of Tuscan Women Cook.

Ingredients

Olive oil as needed, at least ½ cup
2 medium eggplants (about 1½ pounds)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp chopped garlic
2 lbs tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped (or 2–3 cups tomato sauce)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 dried hot chili pepper (optional)
Pinch dried oregano or 1 tsp fresh
½ lb penne rigate or rigatoni
Several large basil leaves, torn into small pieces
Grated ricotta salata or pecorino romano

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and brush generously with olive oil.
Remove stems from eggplants; cut into ½-inch slices. Brush slices with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast for 20 minutes. Flip, brush again if dry, and continue roasting until browned and tender (about 40 minutes total).
While eggplant roasts, heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Soften garlic, then add tomatoes (or tomato sauce), tomato paste, chili pepper, and oregano. Simmer until reduced, about 15 minutes (10 if using sauce).
Cook pasta in abundant salted water until al dente. Toss pasta with tomato sauce, a splash of cooking water, and basil. Adjust seasoning.
Divide half the pasta into four bowls. Scatter with ricotta salata, tuck in eggplant slices, then repeat with remaining pasta, cheese, and eggplant.

Variation: Fry eggplant slices in ⅓–½ cup olive oil until golden on both sides; drain and keep warm. Prepare the sauce in the same pan.

The Future of Lettuce Is Here — and It’s Grown in Ontario

17 August 2025

There’s a new kind of lettuce on Ontario shelves — and it might just change the way you shop. Haven Greens, grown in Canada’s first fully automated, AI-powered greenhouse in King City, delivers crisp, flavourful leafy greens that last up to five weeks in the fridge.

By producing lettuce locally, Haven Greens reduces Canada’s reliance on U.S. imports (90% of our leafy greens currently come from California), while giving shoppers greens that are pesticide-free, touchless, and ready to eat right out of the package. Less food waste, fewer supply chain headaches, and fresher salads — it’s a win for both sustainability and taste.

To showcase just how good local greens can be, Haven Greens created this summer-ready recipe:

Haven Greens Grilled Veggie & Goat Cheese Salad

Ingredients

1 zucchini, sliced
1 baby eggplant, sliced
1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
1 ½ tsp salt
¼ cup vegetable oil
Haven Greens Baby Red + Green Leaf mix
⅓ cup goat cheese, crumbled
¼ cup crushed peanuts

Dressing

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Pinch of sea salt

Instructions

Toss zucchini, eggplant, and bell pepper with oil and salt. Grill 3–4 minutes per side until lightly charred.
Whisk together the dressing.
Layer grilled veggies over a bed of Haven Greens. Top with goat cheese and peanuts, drizzle with dressing, and enjoy.

Find Haven Greens Baby Green Leaf, Baby Red + Green Leaf, and Baby Spring Mix now at Metro, Sobeys, and Foodland stores across Ontario. Fresher, longer-lasting greens — grown close to home.

Here’s How to Make Ina Garten’s Connecticut-Style Lobster Rolls

16 August 2025

For most of New England, the lobster roll is a summertime staple: cold lobster salad dressed in mayo, tucked into a buttered bun. But for Ina Garten, the celebrated Barefoot Contessa and beloved cookbook author, there’s only one way to do it — Connecticut-style.

“When I first discovered a Connecticut lobster roll, there was no going back,” Garten confessed recently, sharing her go-to recipe on Instagram. The hot version swaps mayonnaise for melted butter and serves the lobster meat warm, creating what Garten calls “a roll worthy of a celebration.”

The method is as straightforward as it is decadent: She melts butter in a pan, tosses in chunks of cooked lobster with celery, salt, and pepper, and lets it gently heat through. A squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of dill brighten the mix before it’s spooned into toasted buns, then finished with more dill and lemon for a summery kick. The result? A roll that’s luscious, lemony, and deeply satisfying.

Unlike its chilled cousin, the Connecticut-style lobster roll traces back to the 1920s, when it was first served at Perry’s in Milford, Connecticut. Today, it remains a regional favorite — and Garten’s version proves just how simple it can be to recreate at home.

Her recipe appears in Cook Like a Pro: Recipes & Tips for Home Cooks, one of the many cookbooks that have made Garten a trusted voice for home cooks who want elegance without intimidation. And as she notes, these rolls aren’t just for the Fourth of July. They’re a fast track to bringing coastal New England flavor to any summer table.

Whether you’re perched seaside or simply dreaming of the shore, Garten’s lobster rolls deliver all the charm of a beach shack classic — with a Barefoot Contessa upgrade.