Top Chef Canada: A Mother’s Story
Words By Marylene Vestergom
Sometimes, you just know what you’re meant to do. For Toronto’s Eden Grinshpan, being a Le Cordon Bleu London alumna with the “Grand Diplôme” in both pastry and cuisine is just the beginning. She is a cookbook author, TV personality, cook, and host of the successful Top Chef Canada franchise. Grinshpan is an enthusiastic foodie, exploring the foods of the world and boldly embracing their diversity.
Her highly acclaimed cookbook Eating Out Loud: Bold Middle Eastern Flavours for All Day, Every Day showcases delicious recipes that bring the vibrant flavours of the Middle East, her roots, to everyday cooking.
This will be Grinshpan’s seventh year as host of Top Chef Canada, and this season promises to be a must-see. It premieres this fall on Food Network Canada and will stream on STACKTV. Check out FoodNetwork.ca for the official premiere date.
“Every season, we meet so many incredibly talented chefs,” says Grinshpan. “They are truly elevating the food scene in Canada. Not only do we get to learn about the flavours of our country, but we also hear the stories of the people and see how Canada’s diverse population shapes the food scene so beautifully. It’s truly what makes this country so special, and I feel honoured to experience it and taste the food these talented chefs create.”
The Top Chef cast: from left to right: Janet Zuccarini, David Zilber, Eden Grinshpan, Mark McEwan and Mijune Pak. Photo: Food Network Canada
Some may say Top Chef Canada is Grinshpan’s second family. Along with working alongside the talented judges, she is also a calming presence to the chefs vying for the title. Her experience in the culinary world gives her valuable insight into the pressures and challenges these chefs face.
When she’s not splitting her time between New York and Toronto, Grinshpan focuses on her family, which includes her husband, Ido, and her two daughters, Ayv and Romi. Like many families, mealtime can be challenging.
“I’m like any other mom,” says Grinshpan. “My children can be picky, but I try to make sure there’s always variety. I prefer not to prepare individual meals because I believe in everyone eating the same thing. I also enjoy introducing my children to a variety of flavours and foods.”
Instead:
- Get your kids cooking with you. When my daughters cook with me, they get excited about what they are making, learn a lot, and always want to try what they have created.
- Eat with them. Mealtime is social and fun, so it can encourage more exploration with new flavours, especially if they see you eating new foods. My kids always get interested in the foods I get excited about and want to try them with me.
How do you balance family life and work?
“You need to have a team around you that you can rely on and that can support you. At home, I try to be as prepared as possible.
I make recipes in advance so there’s always something on hand, ready to go. And I couldn’t do it without the help of my incredibly hands-on husband, my parents, our nanny, and our family and friends. It really takes a village.”
Keeping to a budget is hard these days. What advice can you share to help provide healthy alternatives?
“We eat mostly veg-forward in our house, and we’ve found we actually spend less on groceries since we aren’t buying as much meat. I know it’s hard to change. Try one meat meal a week and see how it goes. There are a million beautiful vegetarian recipes you can try. When you incorporate more vegetables, grains, and legumes into your diet, it’s easy to reduce meat consumption.”
What is always on hand in your fridge and cupboard?
“Grains, pasta, tahini (obviously), preserved lemons, lots of extra virgin olive oil, crushed canned tomatoes, a variety of yogurts, lots of cheese (especially feta), olives, herbs, hot sauces, vegetables, and fruit.”
Is there a spice you can’t live without?
“I love my spices – sumac, coriander, cumin, fennel seed, and za’atar.”
Okay, let’s talk about Top Chef Canada. What can viewers expect?
“You don’t want to miss any of it! Viewers are going to meet so many new chefs, learn about new dishes and ingredients, meet a wide variety of guest chefs, and watch exciting new challenges. These chefs really pushed it hard this year.”
For the chefs vying for the title, the question remains: who will rise to the occasion?
Coconut Dal (Even your kids will love it!)
Photo: Eden Grinsphan
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp unrefined coconut oil
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped – optional
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 cup red lentils – rinsed
- 1 400 ml can of coconut milk
- 1 can of water
- Cilantro to garnish
- Salt to taste
- Steamed basmati rice to serve with
Directions:
- In a medium sized pot, heat up the coconut oil and add in the onion and season with salt.
- Sauté for a couple minutes on medium until translucent, and then add in the garlic, ginger, turmeric, and curry powder.
- Sauté on medium low for 3 minutes until the ginger and garlic get cooked through.
- Add in the lentils, coconut milk and then fill the coconut milk can with water and pour that in as well.
- Bring to a boil and cover with a lid, then turn down the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes until the lentils are tender.
- Check for seasoning and serve with steamed rice.
