Chefs We Love
Chris Nuttal-Smith Perfects Summer Recipes In This Cookbook
Updated on July 16, 2024
A Perfect Fire-grilled Ribeye Steak served with baked potatoes and creamed spinach is a menu item you’d expect to find at a steakhouse, not a campsite. But this is exactly the kind of meal Chris Nuttall-Smith likes to cook when he’s outdoors, whether it’s on a kayaking trip through B.C.’s Haida Gwaii archipelago or hiking up the mountains in Alberta’s Jasper National Park. The Toronto food writer’s first book, Cook It Wild, is packed with easy summer recipes designed for cooking outside, at the cottage, in your backyard or at the condo.
Whip up flavorful recipes including Roasted Red Cabbage Salad with oranges, hazelnuts and feta, and Parm-butter Noodles with fresh corn, charred over an open fire or on your barbecue. The key, says Chris, is to plan ahead. He breaks down recipes into what you prepare in your kitchen, then what you grill, roast or warm up later, making cooking at the cottage even easier. Seasoned with plenty of salt and acidic flavors, these dishes are simply spectacular. Chris sat down with us to talk about the book and give insider tips on where you should be eating this summer.
Scroll down for easy summer recipes to cook now!
House & Home: How did you get into cooking gourmet meals while camping?
Chris Nuttal-Smith: I live these dual lives. One is my role as a restaurant critic, food writer and TV judge, where I travel around and eat in some of the best restaurants. But when I want to get away, I go out into nature. It’s generally peak season when people are camping and fresh food is at its absolute best everywhere, yet people are eating protein bars and dried noodles. I thought there had to be a better way.
H&H: Where can you cook these dishes?
CNS: Many of these recipes work just as well on a gas or charcoal barbecue as they do on an open fire. They’re not watered-down recipes that only taste good if you’ve hiked 177 miles. For cottagers in particular, the prep-ahead part of this book is fundamental. Rather than spending an hour chopping and fighting for kitchen space at the cottage, more than half of these recipes take 10 minutes or less on-site. I even bring the cocktails pre-batched to dinner parties in the city!
H&H: Where did you find inspiration for these dishes?
CNS: From my travels and time in restaurant kitchens. The Creamy, Crunchy, Chickpea Flapjacks are inspired by a dish called farinata that I had at a street festival in Noli, Italy. The Parm-butter Noodles I learned from Leandro Baldassarre at Famiglia Baldassarre in Toronto, and a chef friend of mine, Todd Youngson, taught me how to cook steak the right way, leading to the Perfect Fire-grilled Ribeye Steak.
Creamy, Crunchy, Chickpea Flapjacks Cacio e Pepe–Style
“Use a lot of olive oil, way more rosemary than you think you should and a ton of black pepper to create flapjacks that have a crunchy, crusty exterior with a creamy interior.” – Chris Nuttal-Smith
Get the recipe here.
H&H: We need your restaurant critic expertise. What’s your favorite restaurant in Toronto?
CNS: Edulis is my special-occasion go-to. The chefs are so nimble with beautiful produce, and it’s one of the most special restaurants anywhere on this continent. And Bernhardt’s offers a combination of rotisserie chicken and Jewish soul food; it’s one of the best vegetable-forward restaurants in Toronto. It’s also got a great wine list and comfortable seating — it’s a fun place to people watch.
Parm-butter Noodles
“Corn on the cob cooked in its husk on the side of a fire has beautiful flavor; it’s juicy, sweet and it gets this smoky, charry texture. Then, you toss it in with cheese, butter and good pasta — it’s the perfect summer dish.” – Chris Nuttal-Smith
Get the recipe here.
H&H: What other cities have great spots?
CNS: Montreal is the best eating town in North America. There’s a confluence of unbelievable food, well-trained chefs, a spirit of hospitality and affordability. Try Mon Lapin, where the chefs create plates you won’t see anywhere else, and it has the best natural wine list I’ve seen outside of France. And Mastard — it’s a small, unassuming neighborhood restaurant with the freshest and most exquisite Quebecois cooking.
Roasted Red Cabbage Salad
“This salad is fresh and crunchy, with a gorgeous richness from the feta cheese and a nutty crunch from the hazelnuts.” – Chris Nuttal-Smith
Get the recipe here.
Perfect Fire-grilled Ribeye Steak
“The high heat chars and sizzles the outside of the steak, creating an unbelievable crust, and resting the meat lets the inside catch up and cook perfectly.” – Chris Nuttal-Smith
Get the recipe here.
Sweet Tangy Lemon Ribs
“The lemon cuts through the natural fat of the pork and the sweetness of the barbecue sauce, giving you this bright, citrusy flavor.” – Chris Nuttal-Smith
Get the recipe here.
Wildly Delicious Mac and Cheese
“This is the creamiest, most luscious mac and cheese. Throw the pan on a grill or barbecue and let the pasta absorb the amazing sauce.” – Chris Nuttal-Smith
Get the recipe here.
Maya Visnyei
Recipes from Cook It Wild by Chris Nuttall-Smith. ©2023 Chris Nuttall-Smith. Photography by Maya Visnyei and illustrations by Claire McCracken. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved