Lifestyle

7 Delicious Canadian Dishes That You Can Cook for Yourself! | Chef Bobby Rahman

Published

5 years ago

August 26, 2021

As a Chef, Bobby Rahman prides himself on his vast knowledge of the many different cuisines all over the world. However, his trademark, as a resident of Ontario, Canada, has always been Canadian dishes!

Today, we’ve compiled a list of some of Chef Bobby Rahman’s favorite Canadian meals. Complete with insightful tips and background information provided by Bobby himself, who is eager to share the taste of the food of his home country.

Canadian Cuisine 101 | Bobby Rahman

Bobby Rahman: When I talk about Canadian cuisine, I don’t really restrict myself to one region over the other. BUT, it should be said that there are definitely variations within them. Canada, much like the United States, is a melting pot of all sorts of different cultures — and with different cultures come different ways of cooking and different tastes.

The type of cuisine you’ve probably heard about is French-Canadian cuisine, but a lot of traditional Canadian dishes also have English, Scottish, and Indigenous roots. The dishes I’m sharing today will be a mix of all of the above!

1. Poutine

Bobby Rahman: Poutine! This delicious French-Canadian dish is probably one of the most recognized Canadian dishes on social media and the like. And no wonder, really. It’s the kind of dish that you regret the next day but is so sinfully good that you just can’t stop yourself from taking a bite when it’s in front of you.

If you’re not familiar with it. It’s best described as French fries covered with gravy and topped with fresh cheese curds. It’s not the kind of meal that I would recommend if you’re watching your weight. But if you’re looking to fill a craving, then a couple of healthier decisions, like oven-frying rather than deep-frying or just cutting back on the gravy might help soothe your conscious a bit.

2. Peameal Bacon

Bobby Rahman: Not to be confused with ‘Canadian Bacon’, Peameal Bacon is a type of wet-cured, unsmoked back bacon. It’s easy to prepare, and it’s delicious! Literally, it’s just trimmed lean, boneless pork loin that is brined and then coated in cornmeal. A healthier option because it’s leaner and has less fat. So, you can enjoy the wonder of eating ‘back bacon’, as it’s sometimes referred to, with less guilt.

3. Bannock

Bobby Rahman: Bannock is original, indigenous Canadian cooking. It’s often mixed up with the Scottish Bannock (an unleavened type of bread). But it’s been around Canada since before ‘pre-contact’ as you’d say. To describe it quickly, it’s a type of bread. Flat, much like the Scottish Bannock, that is made out of wheat and shaped into rounds that are either fried or baked.

If you’re looking for something quick and easy to start with, then this is a good one to try. It’s simple enough to prepare, after all. You can keep it easy by topping it with some kind of butter or jam, or you can experiment a little bit by rolling some cheese into the dough before cooking.

4. Tourtière

Bobby Rahman: Tourtière is a French-Canadian meat pie dish that’s a must for the holidays (especially if you live in Quebec). There are many different ways of preparing it. But popular ingredients are pork, beef, veal, potatoes, and, even, game meat! A perfectly filling meal if you’re looking for something for parties, as an example, they’re a hit!

5. Nanaimo Bars

Bobby Rahman: Nanaimo Bars are a favorite confectionary treat here in Canada. It got its name from the city, Nanaimo, British Columbia. Perfect if you’re looking for a treat that keeps well since it can be enjoyed even after frozen.

I recommend it all the time for parents who want to cook with their kids. It’s a no-oven recipe, with the main ingredients being chocolate, graham cracker crumbs, custard powder, and icing.

6. Butter Tarts

Bobby Rahman: Another treat that keeps well is Butter Tarts. It’s a quintessential dessert here in Canada. Picture it as a small, bite-sized pastry filled with a syrup (which is made to be semi-solid) that is made up of butter, sugar, and eggs (although you can always spice it up with a few nuts or dried fruit if you want.) They’ve been around for a while, also a great treat to have around for the holidays — since you can make them ahead of time and freeze them before eating.

7. Saskatoon Berry Pie

Bobby Rahman: If you fancy yourself another type of pie (just to complete the trifecta we’ve ended off here), Saskatoon Berry Pie is one that you might want to try out. The Saskatoon berries themselves may be hard to come by depending on where you live (they’re native to Canada and the US — although they are available in some places in Europe as well), but the unique taste is worth the extra effort of looking around for it.

Lifestyle

The Message Women Need Today: Cathi Carrier’s Mission to Bring Back Self-Worth

Published

1 day ago

March 27, 2026

Michelle Langton

Many women spend years quietly stepping out of the frame, avoiding cameras, hiding behind filters, or brushing off compliments because they no longer recognize the person staring back at them. It is not vanity that drives those moments; it’s a deeper feeling of slipping away from yourself. That emotional weight is something Cathi Carrier has witnessed for more than three decades, and it’s what shaped the mission behind Purely Bella.

Cathi didn’t build her career in a boardroom. She built it in a treatment room, one client at a time, listening to stories that rarely make it into conversations about skincare. Women would sit down and immediately apologize for their appearance, convinced they were “too late” to take care of themselves. What she saw instead were women who had given so much to others that they had forgotten how to give to themselves.

Her understanding didn’t come from textbooks. It began when she was a teenager struggling with acne that felt bigger than a skin issue; it affected her confidence, her social life, and even the way she carried herself. That experience gave her empathy long before she had professional expertise. She knew what it meant to feel uncomfortable in your own skin, and she never forgot it.

In her treatment room, skincare became something deeper than cleansing and moisturizers. It became a place where women were welcomed without judgment, where they could talk openly, exhale, and feel seen. Over the years, she learned that skin reflects far more than age or stress. It reflects how much space a woman has allowed herself to take up in her own life.

Stories like Sara’s stayed with her. Sara, a retired schoolteacher, walked in with her shoulders rounded and her spirit dulled. She apologized repeatedly for her skin, barely making eye contact. Carrier designed a simple treatment plan, but the real change came from the conversations, the consistency, and the small moments where Sara started to reconnect with herself. Months later, Sara hugged her and said she finally felt like herself again. That transformation, skin healing paired with emotional renewal, is what convinced Carrier that skincare can be a form of healing when done with intention.

Still, she reached a limit. Her treatment room could only help one woman at a time. The desire to create a greater impact pushed her to start Purely Bella, a brand built to carry her philosophy beyond the walls of her spa. The transition wasn’t glamorous. She had to learn manufacturing, sourcing, regulations, and everything in between. But she stayed focused on real women and real results, clean formulations that worked, without the fear-based marketing the industry often leans on.

Purely Bella’s mission is rooted in a simple promise: you don’t need to turn back time to feel beautiful. You need to move forward with confidence and grace, knowing your best self is not behind you. Cathi believes this deeply. She speaks often about how a morning skincare routine is not just about products, it’s a daily choice to care for yourself, a reminder that you matter.

Her mission is also a response to the pressures women absorb from the world around them. Society is quick to tell women their value fades with every birthday. Cathi rejects that entirely. She wants daughters to grow up watching their mothers feel proud in photos, not hide from them. She wants women to recognize that aging is not the enemy; the real enemy is the culture that tells them to shrink as they grow older.

In a crowded beauty landscape, Cathi Carrier is not asking women to chase perfection. She is inviting them to remember who they are, and to step back into the frame with confidence.