CTV Kitchener's culinary expert Emily Richards brought a taste of the holidays to the studio, sharing three distinctive recipes designed to elevate seasonal entertaining. The segment, which aired on December 5, 2025, featured Richards alongside host Ashley Bacon, offering viewers a gourmet guide to festive flavours.
A Trio of Festive Flavours
Richards curated a menu that balances sophisticated starters, hearty mains, and decadent desserts. The first recipe, Spiced Olives, transforms a simple appetizer into a fragrant, warm dish perfect for welcoming guests. Richards emphasized using high-quality olives and toasting whole spices like coriander and fennel seeds to unlock their full aroma before combining them with citrus zest and olive oil.
The centrepiece recipe is a rich and savoury Pancetta and Parmesan Pasta. This dish leverages the salty, umami depth of crispy pancetta, which is then used to create a simple yet luxurious sauce. Freshly grated Parmesan cheese melts into the pasta cooking water and pancetta fat, creating a creamy coating without heavy cream. Richards suggested finishing the dish with a crack of black pepper and an extra sprinkle of cheese.
The Ultimate Holiday Dessert Transformation
For a stunning finish, Richards demonstrated how to repurpose seasonal Panettone into a show-stopping Panettone Bread Pudding. This recipe solves the common dilemma of leftover holiday bread by transforming it into a warm, custardy dessert. The naturally sweet and fruity Panettone is cubed and soaked in a rich mixture of eggs, cream, and vanilla. Richards noted that adding a splash of a liqueur like amaretto or Grand Marnier can enhance the festive character. The pudding is baked until golden and puffed, serving as a comforting and impressive end to any holiday meal.
Culinary Inspiration for Home Cooks
The appearance by Emily Richards, a professional home economist and cookbook author, provided practical, chef-inspired techniques for home cooks. Her focus on elevating accessible ingredients through method and seasoning is a hallmark of her teaching style. The recipes showcased are designed to be approachable for cooks of varying skill levels while delivering restaurant-quality results suitable for holiday celebrations, family dinners, or festive potlucks.
This segment continues CTV Kitchener's tradition of providing local viewers with seasonal lifestyle content, blending culinary expertise with local broadcasting. The recipes offer a creative departure from more traditional holiday fare, encouraging Canadians to experiment with new flavours and presentations during the festive season.
