Chef Emily Richards

As a highly experienced chef and well-regarded professional home economist, freelance food writer and cookbook author, Emily Richards has extensive know-how in the food industry and many years of experience in the Canadian food scene. Emily enjoys culinary instruction for home cooks who want to learn more and have fun in the kitchen. She is the author and co-author of 10 cookbooks which include topics from Italian cuisine, weeknight dinners, glycemic index diets, 5 ingredient cooking and comfort foods.

A native of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Emily began her food career at a very young age, learning to make bread and pasta at her grandmother’s knee. Food was the touchstone in Emily’s Southern Italian family, so no one was surprised when she opted to get her degree in Home Economics, specializing in Food and Nutrition and pursue culinary arts.

After a seven-year restaurant career, she joined Canadian Living Magazine’s Test Kitchen where she created and tested recipes for the magazine, cookbooks and television show. Emily also worked alongside Bonnie Stern for a number of years at her cooking school in Toronto, assisting many world-renowned chefs and cookbook authors. Emily now spends much of her time creating recipes for cookbooks, webinars, cooking classes, food companies and marketing boards just to name a few. Her 10th cookbook comes out in fall 2022.

Emily surrounds her life with food and family, whether it’s cooking at home for family and friends or virtually through online classes or recipe videos. The love for family and food is always there, which is part of her Italian family upbringing. “I live by a very simple philosophy,” says Emily. “Live, love, cook! I think these are the three most important ingredients to a full and happy life. My life is food and I want to invite everyone in to enjoy the experience.” Mangia bene, sempre! (Eat well, always).

Emily credits her roots for her appreciation of locally-produced pork. “Growing up in an Italian family, pork was part of and still is a part of many meals. These recipes from my cookbook, Per La Famiglia have been shared at dinner tables with family and friends with laughs and stories that will last a lifetime. Using different pork products has been a long tradition in my family, from making sausage every year including different salami products to simple meals during the week with our favourite Italian ingredients alongside.”