What is one book you think everyone should read? 

“My cookbook! Just kidding (kind of). The book that has made the biggest impact on me is Atomic Habits by James Clear. Pure gold.” 

Who is your culinary hero? 

“Ina Garten, without question. She is so unpretentious and warm, and her warmth is genuinely contagious. She feels like family (even though we have never met ... maybe one day). I adore her cooking style, how relaxed her entertaining is, and how effortlessly classy she is. She makes simple ingredients shine without the fuss, exactly as they should. That said, I also love Martha Stewart. She is simply a legend.” 

What is your motto in the kitchen? 

“Less is more. Is the ingredient too hard to find? Can three steps become one? Life is short, and good home cooking does not need to be complicated. Make things ahead whenever you can. I say this as someone who has been caught icing a warm cake in her housecoat as guests were walking through the door. I have learned things the hard way.” 

What would the title of your autobiography be if written as a cookbook? 

“Food Is Love, or What a Mess, if my husband were suggesting the title. One of the two.” 

What is your most cherished memory involving a meal? 

“Making beet rolls with my grandma. I will never forget her beautiful, wrinkled hands tearing off the dough, rolling each one, filling dish after dish with beet rolls that were always the first thing to disappear from the table. They are such a labour of love, and they transport me right back to every big family meal I can remember. I am so grateful I had the chance to learn from her, to collect all those things that were never written down and existed only in her head. I hope everyone gets the chance to gather the recipes from their childhood, keep them alive, and pass them down.” 

Which book is your most treasured possession? 

“A cookbook called Cookies that I received when I was eight years old. It really started it all for me. Though, of course, the first cookbook I published with my cousin Jillian, Fraiche Food, Full Hearts, holds a very special place in my heart. Seeing a cookbook on shelves with my name on it, written alongside my best friend and chosen sister, was a big moment.” 

Who are your favourite writers? 

“I love Kristin Hannah, Alice Sebold, Brené Brown, Taylor Jenkins Reid, and Jodi Picoult, among others!” 

What is the strangest thing in your workspace? 

“A pile of stale baguettes—probably five years old at this point. I pull them out for props every once in a while, but I will be the first to admit it is not normal.” 

What book title best describes your life? 

“Yes Please by Amy Poehler. I say yes to a lot of things I have absolutely no idea how to do (I own a software company and can barely log into my Apple ID). I love saying yes and figuring it out as I go. Not exactly relaxing, but it makes for a very exciting life.” 

What Canadian season best matches your writing style? 

“Summer. I am not sure that it perfectly matches my writing style, but summer is everything to me. If I am being honest, my writing style is relaxed and personal, a little self-deprecating, like we are sitting together on a patio with a crisp glass of white wine, just catching up on life.” 

Your favourite Canadian author, past or present? 

“I am a big Carley Fortune fan, and genuinely so happy for her success. I spend most of my day in the fast lane, so when I finally sit down with a book, I want something light and uplifting with a happy ending. Her books are perfect for that.”