We are thrilled to announce that TV personality, Kyle Crawford will be returning as competition host! Kyle is a charismatic home cook turned culinary personality who believes that “food and fun go hand in hand.” From cooking for his big family at a young age to starring in Gusto TV’s “The Wizard of Sauce” and “The Wizard of Whatever,” Kyle has built a loyal following on social media and has recently launched HCK Food & Media, where he collaborates with food brands to develop standout recipes and boost their online presence.
Kyle is ready to turn up the heat at this year’s competition, delivering live play-by-play commentary, on-the-spot student interviews and exclusive insights from the judges.
You’ve returned to host Cooks the Books for a second year. What did you love most about last year’s competition, and what are you looking forward to this time around?
Last year, my favourite part of hosting the competition was bonding with students. Being able to crack a smile or maybe even get a laugh out of the students while they were under the pressure of competition was a magical feeling! Chatting with the students and hearing their ambitions and goals after the competition was inspiring! This year, I’m very much looking forward to the same thing! A new crop of talented and ambitious individuals that I’ll get to watch and hang out with up close and personal, it’s amazing how much you can feel like you KNOW someone, after you’ve shared a “food stage” with them!
When you meet young culinary talent at events like this, what impresses you the most about the next generation of cooks?
What impresses me the most about the next generation of cooks is the respect and admiration they have for the past, for the traditions, the classic recipes and golden rules of cooking that have spanned generations. I think we have our culinary school professors to thank for that!
What advice would you give to students who are cooking under pressure for a live audience and judging panel?
Breeeeeeeeathe! Breathe, and try your best to relax and have fun with your teammate. It’ll all be over in an hour, and you’ll wanna look back and reminisce on the fun you had up on that stage. This is all in good fun, when you’re in the company of culinary legends – just the energy alone is reward enough, there are no losers in that respect! So breathe, relax, cook your heart out and build memories that you’ll carry through your career!
What’s one lesson or mindset from your early cooking days that you still carry with you in the kitchen today?
Maybe a cliche answer, but as my cooking style and priorities have evolved there is one constant that is actually a big part of the competition: clean as you go! When we’re young and first start cooking, that’s something that our mentors place a lot of importance in because… what 20 year old is naturally tidy?!? Then it becomes second nature and then you realize at some point when you have a MASSIVE kitchen task a head of you (maybe a catering job, a private dinner, or even a food media job on camera or recipe developing): a CONSTANT is keeping your kitchen space clean throughout your process. It is key to successful cooking in any fashion.
Let’s talk comfort food — what’s your ultimate go-to when you need a cozy, satisfying meal?
It has to be a roast chicken dinner with all the fixins. Any fixins by the way, I don’t care if it’s summery with pasta salad and asparagus, or wintery with a nice gravy and root veg. A roast chicken dinner with a selection of sides, mmmmm, comfort.
What influences your creativity in the kitchen?
Oh boy, that’s almost hard to articulate because it’s so spontaneous, and sensory, that I almost don’t even think about it, it’s just a constant state of mind. I’m such a freehanded person – I don’t do well with boundaries, guidelines, symmetry, and accuracy. I love being in the kitchen and treating it like it’s my art studio. What’s in the fridge? Ooooh I saw those peaches at the market next door! What’s my butcher have going on today? What’s my mood today? What’s the weather like today! What have I NEVER done? What have I done a million times and it’s fulfilling every time? Who haven’t I cooked for in a while? This is my constant inner dialogue. And how I can take any of these thoughts and ambitions and make something delicious, is what keeps me creative. Having written it out, it sounds like environment is what influences my creativity in the kitchen.
In your opinion, what makes a dish unforgettable — is it the technique, the story, the plating, or something else entirely?
I think the thing that truly makes a dish unforgettable is who did I share an exceptional dish with and what was the setting? Food brings us together and helps us form core memories. I may have had 100 Sunday roast dinners (and I have) but maybe that first time I made one for my in-laws and experienced how dazzled they were, or the time my best friend made a pasta from a recipe I developed and I saw the excitement on his face. Not only do I remember the feeling, the expressions, the joy… but I remember the taste. I remember the seasoning that accompanied the experience. I think it’s the people we eat with, and share experiences with that make a dish unforgettable.
We’re all about Canadian cuisine. What do you think sets Canadian food culture apart from the rest of the world?
I live in Toronto, the most multicultural city in the world. Short and honest answer (maple syrup, back bacon and butter tarts aside) I think what makes Canadian food culture so amazing is our ability to celebrate and appreciate each other’s food cultures. There is nowhere in the world where you will experience that like you will in the most culturally diverse city in the world, Toronto.
Join us for the 2025 Taste Canada Cooks the Books Student Cooking Competition presented by Canadian Beef on November 9th, 2025 at Cirillo’s Academy! Get your tickets today!
