Episode Details

In this episode, we have the pleasure of hosting a true Canadian icon, Ricardo – a renowned chef, author, television personality, and entrepreneur. Notably, he's a recipient of the Order of Canada and the Ordre national du Québec for his contributions to the nation. Even after selling his business to Sobeys in 2021, Ricardo continues to be a media and food powerhouse, producing content at a prodigious level. 

In the news, we discuss the mighty Mississippi Waterway, the impacts on this climate change transportation corridor, and its North American food cost implications. We explore pressing topics like the Dairy Farmers' recent decisions to hold back on recommending a rate increase for 2024 and the fifth anniversary of cannabis legalization from both positive and negative angles. We unpack what a SNAP program is and how it could help feed Canadians that need help. Lastly, Michael visits Harlem and Red Rooster restaurant. 

Be sure to check out the Coffee Association of Canada's annual conference, and stop by and say hi to Sylvain and Michael in their pop-up podcast studio!

About Ricardo

Chef, author, television personality, entrepreneur: Ricardo is all that. Recognized throughout Canada, he represents a brand that embodies a contemporary vision of family life. His mission? To inspire, educate and bring people together to cook and eat together.

His company offers a multiplatform culinary experience to Canadians. Among its main achievements:

• a magazine read by over 650,000 people every issue
• ricardocuisine.com, the reference among Canadian cooking websites, with 7,000 recipes and 4.4 million monthly visitors
• Over 1.2 million fans on social media
• a television show on ICI Radio-Canada Télé for the past 21 years and a number of other productions presented here and abroad
• 13 books in French and 6 books in English, all bestsellers
• three boutiques and three restaurants in Saint-Lambert, Quebec City and Laval
• an online boutique offering the entire range of RICARDO products
• a RICARDO ready-to-eat counter at the Galeries de la Capitale in Quebec City
• a collection of cooking accessories available in 600 outlets across Canada
• a range of over 100 RICARDO food products available exclusively at IGA, including some now sold in Sobeys stores in Ontario

Trained at the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ), Ricardo continued his studies with a degree in broadcasting from Ottawa’s Algonquin College before embarking on his well-known career as a communicator.

Over the last several years, Ricardo was appointed to the Order of Canada and the Ordre national du Québec, thanks to his efforts to make the culinary arts accessible to all and for his involvement in various social causes. In 2017, he received an honorary degree from the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec for his career achievements. He was also awarded an honorary doctorate in nutrition by Université Laval along with his wife Brigitte for their contributions to culinary issues and nutrition in Quebec.

A man of compassion, Ricardo has been the spokesperson for over 15 years for La Tablée des Chefs, an organization whose mission is to feed people in need and to develop culinary education for youth. His commitment and devotion to young people has been rewarded with a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Lastly, along with architect Pierre Thibault and triathlete Pierre Lavoie, Ricardo is one of the founding members of Lab-École, a non-profit organization that aims to bring together multidisciplinary expertise to design the environment of tomorrow’s schools.

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