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 thought it would be a good follow-up to taste the wines and give you my reviews.

Here are the wines in the order I reviewed them:

Submission Cabernet Sauvignon, California, $19.95 (on sale for $17.95 at the LCBO until the end of April) 14.5% / 7g/L

Peter Lehmann The Barossan Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, South Australia, $20.95 14.5% 4g/L

Zuccardi Q Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, Mendoza, Argentina, $20.95 14% 3g/L

Santa Carolina Reserva de Familia Cabernet Sauvignon, Maipo Valley, Chile, $19.95.

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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 you want to know what I bought while I was there, read my newsletter dated March 12. Here are the wines that Cousin Jano purchased: Hidden Bench, 2020 Rachis & Derma Skin Fermented Chardonnay, $30 Icellars 2017 Chardonnay, $40 Lailey 2022 Sparkling Rosé, $28 Stonebridge 2019 Chardonnay, $48 Two Sisters 2021 Riesling, $40 Two Sisters 2020 Unoaked Chardonnay, $40 Stratus 2006 White, $59 Stratus 2022 Riesling Ice Wine, $69 (375mL) As always, you can follow me in the following places: Website Substack Instagram Facebook E-mail aW8sLMqVU1ceCNFelsvf

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 12g/L!

This wine is pale yellow in colour and has nice viscosity. Aromas of peach, honey, honeysuckle. Mouth feel is medium bodied, citrus, minerals, med-high acidity, and dry yet juicy.

Let me know what you think! In a couple of weeks I'll be talking with my cousin, Alexander, who is a product consultant at the LCBO and who LOVES Riesling. After that, you and I will surely know more about Riesling than we ever did before.

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)
• Château de Montgueret Crémant de Loire Brut, France (Loire) $26.05
• Hinterland (Ontario, Prince Edward County) Whitecap (2021), Méthod Charmat, $23.25
• Lighthall Vineyards (Ontario, Prince Edward County) 2022 Progression, $24.95

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 MacLean. In this episode I read a passage from her book that I found to be impactful for me, as well as giving my thoughts on the book as a whole (spoiler alert: I really liked and and recommend that you read it.)

Secondly, I give my tasting notes on this month's Wine Club selection, Monte Zovo Sa' Solin Ripasso Superiore DOC ($23.95 at LCBO.)

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this wine, as well as on Natalie's book once you get a chance to read it. You can reach me on Instagram @noreciperequired.ca, or join the Facebook group, No Recipe Required Challenge.

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 about this month's wine, please reach out to me.

Join the FB Group to discuss this month's wine: https://www.facebook.com/groups/956452831576049

Link to the LCBO site for this month's wine: https://www.lcbo.com/en/stoneleigh-latitude-sauvignon-blanc-324228

Follow me on Instagram, my DMs are open: https://www.instagram.com/noreciperequired.ca/

And you can also reach me by e-mail at cook@noreciperequired.ca

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 should!) follow Arlene on Instagram @Arlodesigns, or check our her web site. She also suggested we follow another pie artist, Jessica Leigh Clark-Bojin (@thepieous on IG) and one more artists - whose name she blanked on during our chat - Julie Jones (@julie_jonesuk on IG.)

If anyone tries their hand at making an artful pie, be sure to tag me and Arlene on IG.

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.

My cousin and I went on a trip down memory lane a while ago, talking about the comfort foods of our childhood. We were both born in the mid-'60s and grew up in the '70s. Some of the things we talk about are recipes made with canned soup (always Campbell's), things with cheese (lots and lots of cheese) and why certain foods evoke such strong memories.

This is part 1 of our conversation, which focuses on those main course dishes of our childhood like Swedish meatballs, Mac & Cheese, Cheese Fondue, Turkey Tetrazini, Creamed onions, canned peas, and a few other things.

Hope you enjoy this trip down our comfort food memory lane.

My guest this week is an old friend (we met back in 2001!) who started as a driver for a wine agency, and then went on to become a sommelier. James Oatway works for Halpern Wine Enterprises in Toronto. He posts on Instagram under his new account, @rockandgrapes, as well as @Somm_Thing_To_Talk_About, which is the title of his upcoming podcast about wine - and he tells me a story about the origins of the logo for the podcast involving a broken bottle of wine. He's a busy guy, as he also has a music industry podcast called Tales from the Turntable.

In this episode, James shares a ton of insider information on the wine industry, how wines are priced for sale (a lot of our talk is very Ontario-specific, since that's where we both live and work,) how to choose a wine in a restaurant, the most expensive wine he's ever tasted, how (and why!) to start a wine tasting club, and so much more. He also gave me a suggestion of a wine we could taste together (details below) and he walks me though how to taste that wine and what to look for.

Majella The Musician, Cabernet/Shiraz, 2019, Coonawara, South Australia, $19.95 at LCBO/Vintages. 14.5% alcohol.

The basis of "no-recipe" cooking is knowing how to make a sauce. Think about it - a meal is often a piece of protein with some veggies and/or starch and a sauce over top, so if you know how to make a sauce, dinner is a snap!

Guidelines:

Roux: 1 part fat (oil, butter, etc.) 1 part flour, 16 parts liquid (broth, milk, etc.) e.g., 1 Tbsp pan drippings, 1 Tbsp flour, 1 Cup broth to make a roast gravy, or 1 Tbsp butter, 1 Tbsp flour, 1 cup Milk to make a Bechamel sauce (then add 1/2 - 1 cup of grated/shredded cheese to make a Mornay sauce.)

Cornstarch slurry: mix 1 Tbsp of cornstarch with 1 cup of seasoned liquid, pour over sauteed meat/veg in a frying pan/wok, then bring up to a boil until it thickens.

Reduction: in a wide shallow pan (e.g., frying pan) reduce the cooking liquid/juices until thick. You can also add wine, vermouth, Balsamic vinegar, cream, evaporated milk, or broth/stock to the pan and then reduce. Reduction time will depend on the amount of liquid and how thick you want the sauce.

In this episode I chat with Dr. Robby Cooper, (@RealDrRobby on Twitter) a professor at Washington State University, about his love for BBQ (bar-b-que barbecue?), particularly Kansas City Style. It's a fun chat about different styles of BBQ, how to build your own smoker (or convert your gas BBQ into a smoker,) his love of Letterkenny, and the Bills vs. Chiefs.  Here are Robby's recipes for the rub, the sauce, and the cheesy corn bake:

Bobcat BBQ Rub

• 1/2 cup Salt
• 1/2 cup Turbinado sugar
• 1/4 cup Brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp Paprika
• 1 1/2 Tbs Garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp Onion powder
• 1 Tbsp Thyme
• 1 Tbsp Cumin
• 1 Tbsp Chipotle powder
• 2 tsp Cayenne
• 1 tsp Habanero powder
• 1 tsp nutmeg

Betelgeuse BBQ Sauce

• 64oz Ketchup
• 32oz Molasses
• 1 cup Apple Cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp Garlic powder
• 2 Tbsp Onion powder
• 2 Tbsp Paprika
• 2 Tbsp Chipotle powder
• 2 tsp Allspice
• 2 tsp Cinnamon

Jack Stack Barbecue Cheesy Corn Bake

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 4 tsp AP flour
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 3/4 cup milk
• 6oz Sharp cheddar, shredded
• 3oz cream cheese, cubed
• 30oz frozen corn, thawed
• 3oz diced ham (optional)

Preparation: In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, then stir in the flour (this makes a roux!) and the garlic powder. Add the milk, and whisk/stir over low heat until the mixture thickens. Add the cheddar and cream chesses, and stir until melted. Add the corn (and ham, if using,) then transfer the entire mixture to a 2-qt, oven-safe baking dish. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes.

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 coming up in the newsletter on March 5 and March 12, so if you haven't already subscribed, I hope you will. Lisa's Website Lisa's Instagram No Recipe Required Substack Newsletter No Recipe Required Website 8rTHVL9N4SCLBVIIwjLv

I kept calling these "food delivery boxes" in the episode because I drew a blank on what to call them, but I guess the best name for them is Meal Prep Boxes. Anyway, regardless of what you call them, I've never been a fan, so I asked my friend and fellow podcaster, Al Grego, to come on to convince me on why I should give them a try. Did he convince me? You'll have to listen to find out!

You can follow Al on Twitter @pftw. His podcasts are Yes We Are Open (profiling small businesses,) Shop Talk (latest news and trends in the payments industry,) and The Produce Stand (a Letterkenny podcast.) All links are to Google Podcasts, but you can find Al's podcasts on every platform.

If you've had good or bad experiences with Meal Prep Boxes, I'd love to hear about them! You can DM me on Instagram, or e-mail me at cook@noreciperequired.ca.

My friend and fellow podcaster, Susie Miles and I have swapped episodes for a week. I'm sharing one of her episodes with you, and she will be sharing one of my episodes with her listeners.

This episode is about Seafood - shrimp and halibut to be exact. Hope you enjoy it!

You can follow Susie on Instagram and listen to her podcast on the usual platforms.

If there is a theme to Season 3 of the podcast it's "experimentation." I've done a few solo episodes, I have a cross-over episode coming up next week, and this episode is one I recorded live on my phone with my friend Leo Troy where we made Pad Thai together. I like the idea of experimentation rather than following a recipe - whether it be for cooking or podcasting.

Here's a list of the ingredients we used in this dish:

• Rice stick noodles (I prefer noodles that are about the width of linguine)
• Firm (or extra firm) tofu
• 1 egg
• 1 Sweet pepper (yellow, orange, or red)
• 4-5 Green onion (scallions) - white/green parts separated
• 1 clove of Garlic, minced
• Handful of chopped Peanuts
• 1/2 Lime
• Chopped Cilantro (optional) - about 1/2 cup
• Bean sprouts (optional) - about 1-2 cups
• Sauce proportions (approximate - adjust to taste): 1/2 cup Tamarind paste, 1/4 cup Fish sauce, 1/4 cup Honey, 1 Tbsp Hot sauce (optional)

Feel free to add whatever other ingredients you like or have on hand: chicken, shrimp, other veggies, etc.

Trying to demystify and simplify making sourdough bread at home. The recipe and method I follow is adapted from King Arthur Baking and once I switched to this method, I've never gone back to more complicated methods. I'll post photos over on my Instagram page. If you have questions you can DM me there, or by e-mail at "cook @ noreciperequired dot ca."

Timing: the morning before you want to bake, measure out 100g of starter, add 100g of flour and 100g of water into a large jar. Cover and let it sit at room temperature all day. Then, around 6 or 7PM mix the dough, which will then be baked around 2-3PM the next day (or even the day after.)

Ingredients:

• 600g flour (I use bread flour, but all-purpose flour is OK, too)
• 18g (1Tbsp) Kosher salt
• 400g (or mL) room temperature water
• 227g fed and bubbly starter, 50/50 ratio of flour to water

Mix all ingredients, cover and let rest for 1 hour. Pull the far edge of the dough ball over the top towards you, turn the bowl 1/4 turn, pull the next side up and over. Do this 4 times in total so that all 4 sides have been pulled over. Cover and let rest another hour. Repeat this process 2 more times (for a total of 3 times.)

Put the dough into an air-tight container in the fridge overnight, or up to 2 days.

The morning of the day you want to bake, take the dough out of the fridge and leave it covered at room temperature for 2-3 hours. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and stretch it out into a square (for a round loaf) or rectangle (for an oval loaf.) Don't flour the top of the dough, you want the side facing up to be sticky. Pull the edges one at a time towards the middle and stick them together. This is to build surface tension on the top of the loaf (which is currently on the bottom/underside.) Flip the dough over and continue to pull it under itself so that it is nice and tight and in the shape you want. Cover it with a bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Line a bowl, colander or banneton with a clean, smooth kitchen towel (I prefer linen.) Flour it well, all up the sides. Turn the loaf, seam side up (smooth/top side down) into the floured proofing container. Cover loosely with plastic (or in a plastic bag) and leave to proof for 2-3 hours at room temp. If you're not going to bake this right away, you can put it in the fridge up to 24 hours. You'll have to take it out about 2 hours before baking to let it come to room temperature.

Preheat your oven to 500F with a large pot/lid inside (I use my Le Creuset French Oven, but any sturdy pot will do) for 40-60 minutes. Turn your loaf out of its proofing container onto a piece of parchment paper and brush off the excess flour. Score the loaf lengthwise, about 2-3 inches from centre (for an oval loaf) or in a cross pattern for a round loaf. Lift the loaf by the parchment paper and carefully lower it into the pre-heated pot and put the lid on. Put the pot in the oven and reduce the temperature to 450F.

Set your timer for 45 minutes. After that time, remove the lid from the pot and continue baking for another 15 minutes. The loaf will develop more colour during this time, but the shape/size of the loaf is already set by then.

Turn off the oven, crack the oven door a few inches and let the loaf rest inside for 30 minutes. Remove and let cool on a rack for another 30-60 minutes (or up to 2-3 hours) uncovered, before slicing/serving. Once completely cool, can be frozen whole or sliced.

Enjoy!

What's the secret to making good risotto? Do you need a recipe to make it? What ingredients do you need? Do you really have to stir it the whole time? Those questions and more will be answered in this episode, so let's get cooking!

Welcome back for Season 3! Just a short solo episode this time to share what I'm thinking about for Season 3. If you enjoyed this episode, please reach out to me on Instagram @noreciperequired.ca or by e-mail at cook@noreciperequired.ca.

Keep on cooking!

This is the final episode of Season 2. Thank you so much to all my listeners for sticking with me for the last 21 weeks! I'm taking a little break before planning and recording some new episodes for Season 3.

In this episode I'm talking about the 47-day experiment I just concluded with being vegetarian. I gave up all meat, chicken and fish for Lent. I still ate dairy and eggs, but I'm not really a big egg eater to begin with. I'm sharing the good, the bad, the interesting and my overall impressions with vegetarian eating.

Thanks again for listening, and Keep On Cooking!

This final episode of this series is a wrap-up on the 4 wines we tasted, plus a review of how well the wines held up after two days (you'll hear a little musical interlude to delineate the segments.) Yes, we both had LEFTOVER WINE!! When does that ever happen? Well, I can't always drink an entire bottle of wine myself in one evening, so I have to have a way of keeping it for 2-3 days. In the moment, neither Hilary nor I could come up with the name of the little pump thingy to suck the air out of the bottle, but I've now remembered that it's called "Vacu-Vin." It's inexpensive, and a great way to help make your wine last a little bit longer. We also talk about a few other options, from cheap to expensive, to save your wine for later.

We also ramble on about BC vs. Ontario wines, a favourite blend of ours called "Meritage" (rhymes with "heritage") and how we are both going to try drinking some wines in the $9-12 range to see if we can find some new "cheap and cheerful" bottles.

Cheers, everyone!

This is the continuation of my chat with Hilary talking about Merlot - this time from France, and I continue talking about Cabernet Sauvignon - this time from Chile. We hope you enjoy this episode and (spoiler alert!) there will also be a Part 3 where we ramble on some more about wine in general.

If you want to taste along with us, here are the wines we selected:

Chombart & Speck Cave Mystère Merlot 2018, Bordeaux, France [LCBO $19.95]

Arboleda Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Aconcagua Valley, Chile [LCBO $19.95]

Stay tuned for Part 3 coming next week where we talk about how these wines tasted 3 days later!

In this first part of a two (or maybe three!) part series about our favourite subject - red wine - my dear friend and former podcast guest, Hilary, joins me for a taste and chat about two different grapes from four different regions.

The wines we talk about in Part 1 are:

Noble Vines Collection, 181 Merlot, Lodi, California $19.95 in Ontario at the LCBO (your prices may vary)

Chateau Tanunda, Grand Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon, 2019, $22.95 in Ontario at the LCBO (your prices may vary)

Be sure to tune in next week for our second wines: Hilary's Merlot and my Cabernet Sauvignon.

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 2021, Margaret River, Western Australia ($21.25 at the LCBO, on sale, regularly $24.95) 14.2% ABV, 3g sugar/L.

You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and my new website. My e-mail address is "cook at noreciperequired dot ca."

I was recently interviewed by my friend and fellow podcaster, Susie Miles (Cooking and Convos) for her podcast, and she graciously agreed to cross-post our conversation here, on my podcast.

In this Bonus Episode, you'll learn a little (lot?) about me, my journey in cooking, my favourite things to cook, my favourite wines, and where I see my future in the food/wine and podcasting worlds.

You can follow me on Instagram @noreciperequired.ca, or join my Facebook group, or if you'd like to contact me directly, you can e-mail me at cook@noreciperequired.ca.

Thanks for listening!

Julie Gauthier is a Toronto-based entrepreneur who has a line of flavour-infused olive oils and balsamic vinegars. In this episode, we chat about our mutual philosophy of cooking without a recipe, how she rescues vegetables from the "good intentions drawer" of her fridge, and how to use her oils to create a simple and tasty pasta dish.

This episode was an opportunity for me to highlight a woman-owned small business in the food industry and no money exchanged hands either way. We both just wanted to talk about our love of food, specifically her wonderful products.

You can follow Julie on Instagram (@rustichella_) or check out her web page (rustichella.ca) You can also visit her booth at the Spring One Of A Kind Show at the Enercare Centre at Exhibition Place in Toronto. The show runs from March 30 to April 3. You can also find Julie's products at The Side Kitchen (Leslieville, east-end Toronto) and Artemesia Cheese and Fine Food in Flesherton, ON (S/W of Collingwood.)

Patrick Louis-Seize is a recent graduate of the sommelier program at Algonquin College in Ottawa. In this episode, we chat about the process of becoming a sommelier, how sommeliers (or product consultants) can help you find a wine that suits your taste and budget, as well as talking about some of our favourite varietals and regions.

You can reach Pat at patrick.louisxvi@gmail.com

At the end of the episode I mention three wines to try:

Ken Forrester Old Vine Reserve Chenin Blanc 2020, $17.95 at LCBO

Luis Cañas Crianza 2017, $19.95 at LCBO, Tempranillo Blend

Domaine Fond Croze Confidence Côtes du Rhône 2019, $14.95 (on sale) at LCBO, which is a Grenache/Syrah blend

In this episode, I chat with professional chef and popular food blogger, Chef Dennis. We have a conversation about his background and experience in the restaurant industry, starting a culinary program at a girls' high school, and some tips on how to make restaurant-quality meals. Chef Dennis also gives me a challenge at the end to make clams or mussels, so I did that and shared my experience with that at the end of the episode.

You can follow Chef Dennis on his blog Ask Chef Dennis, or on Instagram, (@chefdennistravels) and Twitter (@askchefdennis).

And if you want to see the mussels I made, check out my Instagram page (@NoRecipeRequired.ca) or my Facebook Group (No Recipe Required Challenge.)

I'm giving the last word on plant-based eating to a Registered Dietician.

Jennifer Buccino (Twitter: @JenniferBuccino and IG: @jenniferbuccino) has been practicing as a registered dietitian for over 20 years. Over this time she has held many exciting positions including working as a clinical dietitian and educator at SickKids, provincial project manager Dairy Farmers of Canada, instructor and curriculum developer at Ryerson University, National Lead, Member Experience and Regional Executive Director for Dietitians of Canada, and now Senior Manager of Volunteer engagement at Diabetes Canada. She has also supported many families in the Halton region in her former private practice BeanSprout nutrition.

Jennifer is passionate about healthy living. She runs, bikes, swims and skis and occasionally does the odd recreational triathlon. Jennifer aims to raise her 2 kids to be curious eaters, develop a good attitude towards all foods, and experience the full enjoyment of the foods they eat and the activities they engage in. 

My guest today is Stephanie Belding. Stephanie is a Montreal born, Toronto Based professional actor and personal trainer. Since becoming vegan in 2004, Stephanie's love of baking and cooking increased exponentially. Finding ways to modify and recreate favourite recipes and meals from a plant based perspective is a constant creative joy. Sharing good food and plant based eating ideas is a favourite past time.

You can follow Stephanie in Instagram (@stephbelding) and Twitter (@stephbelding) and her full bio is on IMDB.

In this 2nd of 4 episodes on plant-based eating I chat with Tara G., who has been vegan for 10 years and vegetarian for even longer than that. She shares her expertise and recipes on how to make plant-based eating tasty and satisfying for vegans and non-vegans alike.

You can follow Tara on Instagram @_madebymads for her recipes. Here are a few that we mentioned in the episode:

Tofu Ricotta: 14 oz. firm tofu, 3 cloves garlic (finely minced), juice of 1/2 small lemon, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, 1/2 tablespoon miso paste, 1–2 teaspoons dried basil, oregano, parsley or Italian seasoning (optional), Salt & pepper, to taste (I also put in some grated nutmeg, because I put that in my ricotta when I make lasagna.) Drain any excess liquid out from the tofu (but do not press). Break the tofu up into small pieces with your hands and add it to a food processor. Add all of the remaining ingredients and process until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape the sides of the food processor as needed.

Cashew creme Sauce: 1 cup raw cashews soaked in hot water, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, juice of 1/2 lemon (or 2 tsp apple cider vinegar,) 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast. Blend in a high-speed blender until smooth. Add more water if you want a thinner sauce.

Potato/Carrot/Onion cheez sauce: 3 small potatoes (chopped), 1 medium carrot (chopped), 1/4 onion (chopped), 1/4 cup canned jalapenos, 1/4 cup raw cashews, juice 1/2 lemon, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1/4 tsp cayenne (optional), 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 cup nutritional yeast, 1 cup water. In a saucepan bring 1 cup of water to a boil and add in your potatoes, carrot, onion and garlic. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook 10 minutes or until soft. You can also throw these ingredients into your instant pot on sealed, high pressure for 10 minutes and release it when its done. Add your cooked veggies and water into a high speed blender. Then add in the rest of your ingredients. Blend on high for 1 minute. Place in a sealed container (i use a mason jar) in the fridge and it will be good for up to a week.

Salted chocolate creme tart (click the link)

The focus of the next four episodes of the podcast is about how to move toward eating a plant-based diet, how to make the switch in a healthy way, and how to make plant-based foods taste good for the whole family. The reasons WHY people eat this way are vast: health, ethical, environmental, allergies, sensitivities, and even financial reasons. But the goal of these discussions is not to preach to anyone about “why” or make any health claims; it’s to support people who have made (or are considering making) the change to a fully or partially plant-based diet.

My first guest is Tara Postnikoff, a registered nutritionist, personal trainer and triathlon coach in Toronto. We talk about the nutritional considerations of incorporating more plant-based items into your diet, with a focus on the need of recreational athletes. You can follow Tara in the following places:

Instagram: @healtoronto

Facebook: Healthy Eating Active Living

Website: HEAL-nutrition.com

This week, my guest is Mike Wilner (@Wilnerness on Twitter) a baseball writer for the Toronto Star, host of the weekly Deep Left Field Podcast (@DeepLFPodcast on Twitter,) and former Blue Jays play-by-play broadcaster. Mike and I talk about what it's like to eat on the road as a member of the media, traveling with the team, how the ballplayers eat, and why he (and I) like to check out grocery stores when we travel.

In this episode I chat with my friend and fellow podcaster Carolyn Hillier - aka Chilly Bakes - about how to bake without gluten. You can follow her on Instagram @ChillyBakesGF and her podcast is on all the platforms as "Chilly Bakes Gluten Free."

I also mentioned that I had a recipe for gluten free chocolate cake that's made with quinoa! It's not quinoa flour, but actual cooked quinoa! I basically followed the recipe found here (but I didn't make their frosting): https://barefeetinthekitchen.com/unforgettable-chocolate-quinoa-cake-recipe/ You can sub out melted margarine or coconut oil for the butter, and you can use any non-dairy milk, but since there are 4 eggs in this recipe, I don't know if an egg substitute would work. Maybe give it a try and let me know!

Enjoy!

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!

In this episode I speak with David Antsis, the owner/operator of County Casual Tours in Prince Edward County, Ontario. He tells us about his favourite spots for drinks and food in The County. We even have a Zoom bomb from a mutual friend of ours (who was also a previous co-host on this podcast.) We talked about so many different locations for wine, beer and cider, and even a couple of restaurants!

I hope I was able to capture them all here:

Wineries:

· Sugarbush

· Half Moon Bay

· Stanners

· Karlo Estates

· Traynor Family Vineyards

· Lighthall Vineyard

Breweries / Cideries:

· Gillingham

· Slake

· Stock & Row

Restaurants:

· Bocado (PIcton)

· Bermuda (Bloomfield)

· JK Fries (Hillier)

Non-County Wine & Beer:

· High Park Brewery (Toronto)

· Lost Craft Brewery (Toronto)

· WineOnline.ca

· Quinta do Convento (Douro, Portugal)

Cheryl Appleton, President of STRAGENTIUM consulting agency is an insightful, entrepreneurial leader, with direct manufacturing experience, sales development expertise, and a reputation for creating client solutions that actually work. Cheryl is the glue that helps the stars align and be uplifted in Canadian Women In Food (CWIF).

CWIF was founded in 2014, as a national association to help amplify the voices of female food entrepreneurs and to promote a more inclusive space for all women in food. Their Members are female founders of food businesses, and women employed in professional food industry positions.

You can follow them on all the social media platforms @Canadian_Women_In_Food

Another solo holiday episode of the podcast. I'll likely be spending New Year's Eve alone, so I thought another solo episode of the podcast was appropriate. In this episode I talk about what my food/cooking "resolutions" are for 2022, what I'm planning on cooking for myself on NY Eve, and a suggestion for a sparking wine other than Champagne to celebrate with. Hope you enjoy it! Happy New Year!

For the first time, I'm having a solo episode to talk about some of the holiday recipes from my past. It's a collection of things from a variety of different family members - my mum, my granny, my grandpa, and even my cousin's Jewish mother in law!

If you want any of these recipes in detail, please reach out to me on Instagram @noreciperequired.ca or by e-mail at cook@noreciperequired.ca.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

In this episode, cooking enthusiast and fellow podcaster, Susie Miles and I talk about how holiday traditions are different - and similar - north and south of the border. Just in time for Christmas, we talk about our favourite/favorite (see what I did there??) holiday foods.

This week I’m speaking with Jan Caruana – otherwise known as @Twolittlesandwiches on Instagram. Jan is also an accomplished actor, comedian, improv artist and writer. We talk about some of her no recipe required recipes, what got her started cooking, viral TikTok food trends, and her super popular monthly newsletter. So, without further ado, let’s get cooking with Jan!

Jay was a contestant on Season 3 of the Great Canadian Baking Show - I think this season is available on Netflix. There's even a surprise cameo in this episode by one of the co-hosts of Season 3, Carolyn Taylor (spoiler alert: she's my sister!) We go deep into nerd territory about all things baking, how he got started, his time on the show, tips he has for new bakers, and he gives us a challenge at the end for something to bake. When you make it, please tag me in your post! You can follow Jay @Zen_of_baking on Instagram.

Check out what's in store for Season 2, including a name change for the podcast! New episodes coming later this fall!

This is part 2 of the conversation Hil and I had with my sister, Carolyn Taylor, about County Wine.

Here are the links to the wineries we talked about in this episode:

Waupoos Estates Winery https://www.waupooswinery.com/ @waupoosestateswinery

Half Moon Bay Winery https://www.facebook.com/Half-Moon-Bay-Winery-100273546732026/ 

Lighthall Vineyards https://www.lighthallvineyards.com/ @lighthallvineyards

County Casual Tours https://www.countycasualtours.com/ @countycasualtour

This is the first of a two-part discussion that Hilary and I had with my sister, Carolyn Taylor, Co-creator, Producer, Writer and Actor, best known for Baroness Von Sketch Show on CBC. Carolyn is a part-time resident of The County, so I asked her on to talk about some of her favourite wines from the region.

In this episode, we tasted:

Traynor Family Vineyard, 5th Element, White wine, 12.5% alcohol, $55 [A non-vintage, skin fermented, field blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc] https://traynorvineyard.com/

Rosehall Run, 2019 Small Lots Chardonnay Musqué, 12.5% alcohol, $25 https://www.rosehallrun.com/

Karlo Estates 2018 Property Grown Marquette, 13% alcohol (not currently available) https://www.karloestates.com/ 

Karlo Estates 2018 Three Witches, 12.5% alcohol, $22 (blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Gewurztraminer

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!

This is our 5th and final (for now) bonus episode on wine, and the third one on the topic of splurge worthy wines. As usual, we went on lots of tangents along the way, so we hope you enjoy it! Here are the wines we talked about:

Lush Sparking Wine (Two Sisters, Niagara, ON) $53

County Cremant (Grange Winery, Prince Edward County, ON) $37

Henri Bourgeois Les Baronnes Sancerre (Loire, FR) $31

Hidden Bench Fume Blanc (Niagara, ON) $35

Three Sisters Tempranillo (Naramata Bench, BC) $30

Beronia Viñas Viejas 2017 (Rioja, ESP) $25

Maetierra Dominum QP 2009 (Tempranillo blend, Rioja, ESP) $62

Château Villa Bel Air (Graves, Bordeaux, FR) $30 (through Gargoyle wine club)

This is part 2 of my conversation with Hil (@Hilspeth on Twitter) about our favourite splurge worthy wines. The ones we talked about were:

Morgan Pinot Noir (Santa Lucia Highlands, CA) ~$65USD (not available at LCBO)

The Holy Trinity (GSM Blend, Grant Burge, Barossa Valley, AUS) ~$35 - sometimes available at the LCBO

Painted Rock Red Icon (Penticton, BC) $60 (buy in BC or through the vineyard)

Black Hills Nota Bene (Bordeaux-style blend, Osoyoos, BC) $65 (buy in BC or through the vineyard)

Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley, CA) ~$80, sometimes available at LCBO (but not currently)

Ridge Three Valleys (Red Blend, Sonoma County, CA) $50 available through Vivino

Predator Zinfandel (Rutherford, CA) ~$25 (not available at LCBO)

This is the first part of my conversation with Hilary (@hilspeth on Twitter) about our favourite "Splurge worthy" wines. I had to break this one into several episodes because we just kept going on and on about our favourite expensive wines! Here are the wines we mentioned in the episode:

Chalk Hill Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma, California) - not currently available at the LCBO

Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon (Alexander Valley, California) $120.95 - recently released at the LCBO

Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon (Oakville Bench, Napa, California) $200 (out of stock at LCBO)

Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (Rutherford, Napa, California) $108.95 - limited quantities at LCBO

Sbragia Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma, California) - not available at LCBO

Sanford Pinot Noir (Santa Rita, CA) - rarely available at LCBO, usually around $45

Meiomi Pinot Noir (California) $22.95 at LCBO

Belle Glos Clark & Telephone Pinot Noir 2018 Pinot Noir (California) $59.95

This is part 2 of my conversation with Hilary (@hilspeth on Twitter) about our favourite "cheap and cheerful" wines, which are available at the LCBO for less than $20.

Sa Solin Valpolicella Ripasso (Italy, Vintages) $19.95

The Hare Wine Company, Jack Rabbit Special Blend Baco Noir (Niagara) $19.95

Enzo Vincenzo Valpolicella Ripasso (Italy) $16.40 (currently on sale for $14.40)

Jupiter, Cotes du Rhone (France, Vintages) $17.