Hold our beer, 2020 — a new dawn has arrived, and with it comes a very exciting project that no amount of toilet paper hoarding or Doug Ford announcements can ever dull. This week, we're proud to launch In the Kitchen with Foodism, a brand new video series, bringing you the best recipes from the city's finest makers and shakers, plus the stories behind their rise to Toronto food fame. 

The six-part series will explore personal dishes from some of Toronto's brightest culinary lights and uncover the stories behind their cooking careers. For our launch episode, we invited Suzanne Barr into the kitchen and chatted about her roots, her cooking inspiration and why it's never been more important to make food that represents who you are. (Check out Barr's thoughts on culinary authenticity over here.) The chef, author and advocate walks us through a recipe for spicy shrimp and lemony grits, a pivotal dish that cemented her culinary stripes at her first Toronto restaurant, Saturday Dinette. 

We'll be releasing a new episode to coincide with each issue of Foodism to give you even more up-close-and-personal access to our fave foodie figures. The winner of Top Chef Canada and chef and owner at Richmond Station, Carl Heinrich will be sharing the local love and getting us excited to eat everything Ontario in our Better Eating edition. Evelyn Chick —veteran bartender and creator of the Stay At Home Cocktail Club subscription service — will be shaking up something special for the Drinks episode. Plus, the maître fromager of Cheese Boutique and all-round gouda guy, Afrim Pristine will be sharing some cheesy tips with us ahead of the holidays. 

More hosts are yet to be revealed, but rest assured that we'll be cooking up some big names and bold flavours to inspire you to get busy in your own kitchens. We'll be sharing the full recipes and videos on our hub so you can cook along as you listen to the rich tapestry of stories that make up Toronto's impressive canon of chefs and bartenders. Grab your aprons — it's time to turn up the heat and step In the Kitchen with Foodism.