The Pay Chen Show

This is the year I don't put on weight over the holidays. This is the year I don't put on weight over the holidays. This is the year I don't put on weight over the holidays. Sound familiar? Registered nutritionist Lianne Phillipson-Webb shares her tips to keep our holiday eating under control, and tells you where a ton of your calories are hiding. TV star and celebrity chef Roger Mooking is representing Canada at the Barbados Food & Wine and Rum Festival, plus he's cooking up a new restaurant in Toronto!

Are you planning to pack away that BBQ? Don't! Weber Grill Specialist Michael P. Clive has tips for winter grilling and shares all the ways to BBQ with success. You might be doing something wrong... But if you must, he'll also tell us how to pack away our BBQ for a few months if you only like grilling in warm weather. Maybe you knew...that Winnie the Pooh was inspired by an actual bear purchased by a Canadian solder during the start of the first World War. He named her Winnie after his hometown of Winnipeg. There's a cool exhibit you can check out to see photos of Winnie and her owner and read diaries and letters from this dark time in history. The solder's great granddaughter talks about putting this exhibit together. It's not too early to start planning your holiday parties and Jessica Tomei from Cupcake Vineyards shares her suggestions for wine and food and how to be the best host.

How did one guy open 3 downtown lobster restaurants, launch a food line at Sobeys and write a cookbook in only 2-years? Matt Pettit from Rock Lobster chats about his new cookbook, "The Great Lobster Cookbook: From Claw to Tail" and what it's been like making this luxury food more approachable and fun.  Could the things in your medicine cabinet be doing you more harm than good? Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacist Victor Wong, talks about why it's important to clean out our medicine cabinets and what essentials we should stock. Confused about pain medication? He sets things straight. And Foodee is a new "food concierge" that debuted in Vancouver and is now available in Toronto. If you ever get stressed about ordering lunch for a group at work - they'll make your lives easier.

Pay is back from Scottsdale, Arizona and is plumper than when she left. There's more than spas and golf...there's great food. And if there's great food, Pay will find it. Matt Basile from Fidel Gastro food truck and Lisa Marie restaurant pops into studio to talk about his new cookbook, "Street Food Diaries" and what lead him from a desk job as a copywriter to creating a food brand that has resulted in a food truck, restaurant, TV show, catering company and now a book in only three years. Pay asks, "what's the worst thing you've ever received while trick-or-treating?" See if you agree with the answers. By the way, someone said, "potato". Nutritionist Theresa Albert was once an evil woman who gave out whole wheat crackers at Halloween but is now trying to redeem herself. Theresa has tips on making Halloween less junky for parents and kids. And chef Matthew DeMille (Drake Devonshire) talks about the Drake Hotel's new spot in Prince Edward County. A perfect spot for a getaway by car.

Back from a trip to visit the parental units in Halifax, Pay wants to know if everyone's parents get weird when they get old. Saturday Night Live celebrates 40 years with real food inspired by some classic SNL skits. Schweddy Balls, Colon Blow, Almost Pizza...you can now buy them and eat them! Pay chats with Julie Zwillich who taste-tested many of the SNL goods. Meal Share is an organization that started in Vancouver and Alberta and has now expanded to Toronto. Their concept is "buy one, give one". By dining out a restaurant they've partnered with,  you could give a meal to someone in need. Derek Juno explains how it works. And the Delicious Food Show took place in Toronto this weekend. Pay had a chance to talk to several local and international celebs, including chef and author Mario Batali. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and there are many great fundraising events taking place. Heart of Fashion combines food, fashion and fundraising on October 25th. Listen in for details!

Chef and owner of Hey Meatball! Rodney Bowers pops into studio to talk about a new cooking competition show called, Pressure Cooker. Home chefs get paired with a celebrity chef (like Rodney) and must compete against the clock to cook the best tasting dish. Pressure Cooker debuts on Tuesday, October 7th on W Network at 9pm. Want to get your kids involved in their community and pick up a few cooking skills while they're at it? Kids Cook to Care is an organization that puts on monthly community dinners in low-income areas. Kids ages 6-16 can volunteer to help at a dinner under the guidance of a well-known chef. The kids prep and serve the food and pick up some great skills while they're at it. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and Rethink Breast Cancer has launched  a new digital channel with short videos full of tips and inspiration to young women battling breast cancer. Sylvia Soo talks about the inspiration for Cancer Fabulous Diaries and her experience of being diagnosed at the age of 25.

Award-winning journalist, Amy Rosen, visits the show to talk about her new cookbook, "Toronto Cooks: 100 Signature Recipes from the City's Best Restaurants". The book features 50 chefs in the city. Amy talks about the Toronto dining scene and how our restaurant industry has changed over the years. Chef Ricardo has launched a beautiful glossy cooking magazine called "Ricardo", with easy recipes, tips and simple meal solutions. He talks about his rules of cooking, what makes his magazine unique and the kind of foods he likes to cook. And...the recipe for the ultimate chocolate chip cookie. Do you have baby or kids books your child has outgrown? The Children's Book Bank desperately needs donation of gently-used books. They are a non-profit charity that encourages literacy by providing books to kids in low-income areas. Find out how you can help!

What was Pay doing 4-hours outside of Winnipeg, Manitoba all weekend? Why was she sleeping in a barn? All is answered. If you were a kid in the 80's you probably have memories of the show, Fraggle Rock.  Pay talks to Larry Mirkin, producer of Fraggle Rock who also worked on several Jim Henson productions. Larry chats about his first meeting with Jim Henson and what it was like to work with the creative genius. Jim Henson's creativity lives on with a new preschool show shot in Toronto called, Hi Opie! and Pay is the guest on the episode airing Friday, September 26th on TVO (6:15am, 10:30am, 1:15pm ET) If you're confused by the terms "eco", "green", "ethical", or "sustainable" tourism...you're not the only one. Founder of G Adventures, Bruce Poon Tip, talks about the difference between the terms and gives listeners ideas on how to make a positive impact with your travel choices. And the CIBC Run for the Cure is taking place October 5th - Kathy Phillips will be singing the national anthem at the start of the event and shares her story of saving her own life at a young age.

Why the heck do celebrities get so much free stuff? The 4th Annaul Toronto Garlic Festival is coming up - Pay chats with the festival founder about the many varieties of locally grown garlic and the kinds of sweet and savourty garlic dishes you can try. Plus, why not enter the garlic breath contest while you're there? Chef Michael Smith (Food Network) is out with his 8th cookbook called, FAMILY MEALS. Pay chats with him about how to make dinner time more enjoyable and less choatic. Plus, Michael's favourite go-to recipe. And should it cost YOU to make someone else's life more convenient? Plus, the most brilliant idea for any apartment or condo....a communal pup. 

It's the last long weekend of summer and we spend it with a two-hour show highlighting celebrity parties and A-listers in town for TIFF with Jordan Fogle (Mint Agency) - who talks about throwing events for celebs and gossips about the stars he's worked with. Want to spot a star and get a photo or autograph? Sabrina Maddeaux (NOW magazine) lists the celebrity hotspots for the film fest. If you need another excuse to indulge in burgers...Le Burger Week is on from September 1-7th and a list of Toronto restaurants are creating unique burgers just for this week! Na'eem Adam (Le Burger Week) highlights some of the juicy creations and talks about getting Haiti involved with the event. Chef and restauranteur extraordinare, Michael Bonacini (Masterchef Canada, Oliver & Bonacini) talks about his latest restaurant venture and the parties he's involved with for TIFF. Always take crappy photos? Always look crappy in photos? Celeb photographer, Ryan Emberley, shares some easy tips for looking better in pics and for taking better photos. Your friends will thank you. Plus Awestruck 2014 is celebrating with 30 food trucks at one event! Suresh Doss gives us the details. And hotels are starting to charge for things that used to be free...how about a $25 "personal use fee" if you put your own bottle of water into the fridge?

Pay broadcasts live from Toronto Taste for 3 hours! With some of Toronto's best chefs and restaurants represented at this culinary fundraiser, Pay chats with Food Network hosts Bob Blumer (Surreal Gourmet) and James Cunningham (Eat St.) This event raises money for Second Harvest; allowing them to rescue food and feed Toronto's hungry. Throughout the show, Pay has conversations with: Chef Martin Kouprie (Pangaea Restaurant), Marc Thuet (Petite Thuet), Matt DeMille (Drake Devonshire) John Pong (Drake 150), and Rob Gentile (Buca). Find out why some of the food you're eating might not be what you think!

How can a Life Coach help you? Angela Perelli joins Pay to talk about what a Life Coach can do for you and offers some simple questions and exercises that can help you take control of where your life is going. And Mirella Amato is the author of "Beerology" - the ultimate guide to pairing and entertaining with beer. She shares her ONE biggest tip for beer drinkers. Plus you have one week to buy your ticket for Toronto Taste - Pay will be broadcasting live there next Sunday from 6-9pm!

Pay doesn't think it's weird to be in a relationship and never speak on the phone. Bring on the texts! Karon Liu from the Grid TO talks about Burger Week and Burger Day in Toronto. Even though it's not really a week. Peter Dyakowski is a 29-year-old football player who currently holds the title of Canada's Smartest Person according to the popular CBC show. You could be the next and it's more then just book smarts. Rocco Rossi, President & CEO of Prostate Cancer Canada explains their big event "Pants Off for Prostate Cancer: Protect your 5-Hole", where pants are not allowed.

The first show in the new studio at Richmond and Duncan! Pay chats with Chef Tom Riley from Oliver & Bonacini Cafe Grill about food trends and flavours you'll want to include in the spring and summer months. For parties, weddings or casual gatherings - include more spices and Southeast Asian flavours. And the poutine bar is great...but guess what's replacing it? Toronto realtor, David Fleming has real estate advice and reveals the neighbourhoods he thinks will be the new hot areas for buyers.

It's the long weekend and Pay has a 2-hour show! Briana Santoro talks about juicing the right and wrong way and why you might actually GAIN weight from juicing. Plus, she "undresses" some of our favourite snack foods that might be packing on more calories than we bargained for. Michael Lagimodiere is the host of "Giver" on TVO - a show that gets kids ages 6-12 years old to design and build a playground for a community that needs one. Find out what ALL the kids want in their playground. And the Yard Sale for the Cure is coming up on Saturday - find out where you can score some great deals and how to set one up yourself. And Dr. Kathleen Regan from Innate Wellness talks about seasonal allergies, what could be irritating you and some of the ways to make life easier. She also discusses supplements, what we need and what to look for. And School Grown is a great program for high school students run by Food Share. They have gardens at two schools and teach kids how to garden and farm. They need your help to get their produce to the farmers market. And Toronto Taste is one of the biggest food events in the city. Pay finds out more.