Food
November 26, 2021
Five holiday-ready recipes from Mary Berg’s new cookbook, Well Seasoned
Home cook, TV sensation and bestselling author Mary Berg is known for her fun, millennial approach to fresh, seasonal cooking. “In my life, food has always satisfied something so much bigger than hunger, and I always try to capture that momentous effect in my kitchen and in my recipes,” she says.
Best known for winning season three of MasterChef Canada, her journey started with two degrees in liberal arts and a stint working in insurance. As it turned out, cooking was her destiny and the Canadian culinary scene is all the more delicious for it.
Aside from hosting her new show on CTV Life Channel, Mary Makes It Easy, the home cook recently released her second cookbook, Well Seasoned, a compilation of 100 seasonal recipes, as a follow-up to 2019’s Kitchen Party. “I feel so at ease when I sit in front of a meal that transports me back to childhood, or when I breathe in the warmth of a steaming bowl of hearty stew,” she says.
Nostalgia is a powerful thing, but Mary mixes traditional family recipes with new dishes. “Winter is the time to stay in and celebrate family and friends over a good home-cooked meal,” she says. “Bready biscuits and buns, succulent slow-cooked mains, holiday classics, potatoes galore and satisfying sweets are the name of the game when the chill of winter rolls around.”
For Mary, that can mean serving up an unconventional Banh Mi Beef Dip buffet or a weeknight supper of rich and satisfying Jalapeño Mac and Cheese. The velvety Burrata with Salty Things is a classic Mary appetizer — a self- described “salt-loving lady.” And she’s not afraid to buck a cooking taboo, spreading mayonnaise over her turkey instead of butter, or creating a delicious (and easy) cheesecake without the traditional graham cracker crust. And there’s one more thing that these simple, flavourful recipes have in common: according to Mary, they’ll make you look like an “absolute culinary wizard.”
Burrata With Salty Things
Topped with herbs and briny ingredients like olives and anchovies, this satisfyingly brackish burrata is a welcoming start to your meal.
Get the recipe for Burrata With Salty Things.
Jalapeño Mac And Cheese
The spice of the jalapeño provides just enough zing to cut through the classic, creamy and decadent mac and cheese.
Get the recipe for Jalapeño Mac And Cheese.
Banh Mi Beef Dip
Save your cooking liquid to make a savoury dip for this classic Vietnamese sandwich.
Get the recipe for Banh Mi Beef Dip.
A Golden Bird
Mary’s recipe for this holiday meal staple comes with a twist — use mayo as an easy way to get your turkey golden-brown and delicious.
Get the recipe for A Golden Bird.
Eggnog Basque Cheesecake
With flavors of eggnog, spiced rum and nutmeg, this recipe for basque cheesecake is the perfect end to your holiday meal.
Get the recipe for Eggnog Basque Cheesecake.
Find more heartwarming recipes in Mary Berg’s new cookbook Well Seasoned: A Year’s Worth Of Delicious Recipes.
Lauren Vandenbrook
House & Home November 2021