The Pay Chen Show

Do you know what's in your bottle of olive oil? There's a good chance it's not olive oil! Val Vagopoulos from Olive That! joins the show to tell you all you need to know about buying and tasting extra virgin olive oil. Labels often don't tell the truth and what should you ask before you buy? Does the more expensive bottle mean a better product? And how long does olive oil last? Find out so you don't get ripped off the next time you buy a bottle!

This show is for all the meat-lovers. Peter Sanagan from Sanagan's Meat Locker in Kensington Market joins the show with food writer, Ivy Knight. Learn about Ivy's series of FREE food events at the Drake Hotel...every Monday evening and take part in Butcher Appreciation Night on July 25th. Peter explains the difference between grass-fed and grain-fed beef and marbling, what some lesser-known but delicious cuts of meat are, and how to find the meats you're looking for.

Pay is back from a trip to Nova Scotia where she walked in on her mom massaging lobsters. It's a real thing, apparently. Listen to find details. Chef Rob Gentile (Buca) and Afrim Pristine (Cheese Boutique) join the show to talk about their love of dogs and how they're raising money for the Etobicoke Humane Society with a big BBQ event where dogs are welcome! Have you heard of the Newcomer Kitchen? Did you know there are a group of Syrian moms making delicious Syrian meals that you can order to take hoe? Len Senater (The Depanneur) offered his kitchen space to a group of Syrian moms new to Toronto who were staying in hotels and didn't have a kitchen to cook in. With the help of Rahaf and Esmaeel (recently arrived Syrians who assisted in coordinating), that one event snowballed into many opportunities for the Syrian women including cooking for 1000 people at the recent Laminato arts festival and catering a private VIP dinner for guests that included the Mayor. Learn about how you can get involved with Newcomer Kitchen to help them grow and expand. 

The secret lives of massage therapists...what you might be doing that they're talking about. Pay is joined by Harry Lalousis - Mustard Sommelier for Maille mustards in the UK. There are many uses for mustard and you might be missing out on some of the most delicious ways to use them. Why dijon mustard is the base for some of your tastiest foods. Matt Basile (Fidel Gastro food truck, Lisa Marie) shares his tips for making your homemade foods better and what you'll find more of on menus soon. And the owner of DeeBee's Teapops is a doctor and mom of 2 who started her own business making healthy treats that actually taste good. Have an idea you want to turn into a business? She did it.

Get your grills ready - Chef Rob Braganolo from Carver shares his favourite things to cook on the grill and they aren't sausages or burgers! Learn to make perfect fish, pizza and even mussels on the grill this summer. Plus, hear about the special offerings at Taste of Toronto taking place June 23-26 at Fort York. Do you know what makes an Aussie meat pie unique? The two young women who own Kanga Aussie Meat Pies stop by the studio to talk about relaxing summer "sessions" and how they started making Aussie meat pies in Toronto. And if you like the idea of visiting 3 different Toronto restaurants in one night and don't mind getting a little active - find out how you can do a CycleDine tour and join a small group that cycles and eats at hot spots in the city.

Some of the best food in Toronto is just outside of Toronto. Have you ever driven past a plaza or a tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurant and been curious about what's being offered inside? Food and drink writer, Suresh Doss, has become known as the unofficial food ambassador of Scarborough - becoming the go-to source for authentic and delicious multicultural dishes. He shares the names of hidden gems all over the GTA from Scarborough to Rexdale and Brampton - and the must-try dishes that will delight your tastebuds. His popular 905 food tours have taken off with curious eaters wanting to try new flavours. Listen to his tips for finding new favourites and how to order from an unfamiliar menu.

The Queen of Cakes and the woman who put beautifully designed cakes on the Toronto map - Bonnie Gordon - joins the show with the head pastry instructor of The Bonnie Gordon College of Confectionary Arts. They discuss the trends in desserts and pastry, the flavours you'll see more of this year, and what it takes to make cake dreams come true. Plus, the popularity of the $12,000 cake! Toronto BBQ week kicks off on June 6th and Harbord Room chef Cory Vitiello talks about the great menu items you can enjoy only during BBQ week!

Gardening expert Frankie Flowers joins the show to answer your gardening questions and shares his tips on growing your own food successfully. Whether you have a large garden or just a small balcony, Frankie breaks down the essential items you'll need and the most important things to consider as your grow and harvest. Did you know you can grow kiwi? Learn how to naturally get rid of pests, kitchen solutions to fertilize your plants and which plants grow well in little sun. Plus, the most useless watering tool you might be using and wasting your money on. And you'll be surprised by some of the great new fruits and veg you can be growing this summer (pink blueberries and a plant called "ketchup and fries"). Chef Carl Henrich of Richmond Station chats about his involvement with Toronto Taste and previews what he'll be serving up.

Back from Halifax with a story to share about my dad offering a scammer money over the phone. To kick off the Victoria Day long weekend, Design and Lifestyle Expert Karl Lohnes, pops by to share ideas on updating high tea for your next event or gathering. Plus, the difference between High Tea and Afternoon Tea and hey...did you know one of them usually involves beer? Karl shares easy ways to amp up your next shower, brunch or pool party with ideas inspired by traditional High Teas. Toronto Taste is coming up o June 12th and Pay will be broadcasting live with Zane Caplansky. Tune into find out how Second Harvest rescues food and gets it to people who need it most.

What is human Hungry, Hungry Hippo? Tune in to find out. If you'd like to eat healthier, and make better meals for you and/or your family, cookbook author and cooking class instructor Nettie Cronish and Registered Dietician Cara Rosenbloom join the show to talk about their book: Nourish - Whole Food Recipes featuring Seeds, Nuts and Beans. Find out if soy is really bad for you, or if it's gluten, maybe fat...or nuts. The women set the story straight and share some suggestions for cutting down your grocery bill and making delicious meals that are good for you. And what would you do if you found over 4-million dollars deposited into your bank account? You'll never believe what one 21-year-old spent it on.

Pay found the best way to get rid of old stuff (it's not new...she is just new to doing this.) And someone got a grown-up BBQ and is conquering her flame fears after having a BBQ explode in her face once. Hear the pathetic story. Joel MacCharles and Dana Harrison are the couple behind WellPreserved.ca - a great blog of recipes for preserving. Their new book, Batch, includes tips, techniques and recipes for preserving. Joel shares the 7 types of preserving (and chances are you're doing more than one without knowing it) and a few simple 10-minute recipes you could be doing at home without any extra equipment. Some of them involve booze. Plus - their kitchen experiments gone wrong...

Pay's tooth fell out. That was fun. Feel like an under-achiever? A guy is going to make over $100,000 this year by decorating bananas. You got that right. Bananas. While you're packing away your fall and winter gear - make sure you do it right! Yes, there are many, many wrong ways to do it. Lifestyle Expert Shoana Jensen joins the show to talk about the best ways to store your clothes and what you can do to save time and money. Also...tips for getting the most out of your laundry detergent. Design duo Colin and Justin share their tips for sprucing up your home and where to put your money. Plus, how to make your cabin or cottage a perfect second home. Would you go to a naked restaurant? If you can...you have a chance to dine in the nude this summer. Tune in for details!

It's tax time and Pay's accountant doesn't think chocolate is a work expense. The sisters behind the popular cookbooks, Bite Me, and Bite Me Too, join Pay to talk about their latest book, Lick Your Plate. Julie Albert and Lisa Gnat have been creating recipes and dishes to answer the question, "What's for dinner?" They talk about what makes their recipes easy to follow, working with family, and their favourite meals.

Pay recaps her gluttonous trip out west to British Columbia where it actually FELT like Spring. A food-packed trip to Vancouver and Victoria to sample their delicious offerings and also some quality time with her niece. The girl with the reverse mullet. Do you like your name? Have you ever wished you had a different name? Writer and author Duana Taha talks about her new book, "The Name Therapist" where she looks into how people feel about their names and the perception we have over unusual or uncommon names Pay and Duana share some of their favourites, including their "Starbucks Name" and what they wanted to change their names to when they were kids. April 9th was Gin and Tonic Day! Mixologist Colin Turner joins the show to talk about HOW to taste gin (kind of involves chewing), how the G&T came to be and what to expect in different kids of gin.

A frustrated mom sends her son an invoice totally almost $40,000 for the cost of supporting him since he moved back home 13-months ago. It includes $1000 for being an a**hole and not appreciating the support of his mom. Should adult kids be charged for moving back home? Mom blogger and writer, Sonya Davidson, joins the show to chat about Macaron Day and it's roots in Paris. Chef Ricardo conducted a survey for his food magazine and found some interesting results about the eating and meal habits of Canadians. Which provide is most concerned about healthy food? Where do people eat the fastest? And which province drinks the most wine with dinner? How often do the guys in your life talk about their prostates? *crickets* Ben Samaroo - a 28-year-old lawyer decided to write a cute picture book and donate proceeds to various men's health charities to encourage men to get their health checked more regularly. Ben is a lawyer and wrote a book so let's all feel like underachievers.