1. Can you tell us about your background?
“I’ve been with RICARDO for 17 years. I remember the days of Coutu Larrivée productions when I was a freelancer. We worked from home and without knowing it, it was the beginnings of what’s now RICARDO Media. I experienced changes within the company and the family (Ricardo & Friends, as well as the beginning of the daily Radio-Canada TV show). Since then, I’ve moved with the team into offices and my duties have changed as I acquired more responsibility. I currently have a more specific role: senior chef and stylist. Before, as we were such a small team, we were sometimes as much a writer as a TV food stylist.”
2. How many recipes have you had your hand in?
“I don’t have exact numbers, but certainly more than 1,000. There are still more than 7,000 recipes on the site now.”
Each recipe can require up to a dozen tests before arriving at the final version that we see in the magazine or on television. Even if the initial idea comes from a member of the kitchen team, creating a recipe is still a team effort, every step of the way.
3. What is your work day like?
“Now as senior chef, I enjoy being called upon as a reference when required in the recipe development process. Now I have more of a supervisory role. I have meetings with colleagues from other departments to understand everyone’s vision and needs, and then we do tests. In the process, we are at least two people from the kitchen team testing recipes, and if we include all the steps, we can be up to five people involved before it’s published in the magazine.”
4. What is the longest step in the recipe-creating process?
“It’s the development. We allow ourselves to make all the possible mistakes to arrive at a result that suits us. Each recipe is tested several times, even if it works from the start. Even simple recipes sometimes need to be worked on.”
“The culmination of our efforts is the photo shoot, where we finally concretize several weeks of development work. We photograph each recipe, paying particular attention to every detail. We find strength as a team to create an image that will represent each dish well, for many years to come. This is very satisfying because, after all, our colleagues are our first audience. Based on their reactions, we can guess which ones will be a success!”
5. How did the idea of the giant poutine that is on the cover of the winter 2023 magazine come about?
“We first got it for another project. It had been rejected because we felt like it wasn’t the right time. We brought it up again for the winter season because there was something unifying about it on the cover. This recipe says a lot; it’s accessible, fun, gourmet and great to share around the table.”
6. Did you make this recipe at home?
“It was a hit! I had friends over and served this poutine. Everyone was impressed. They never thought I would serve this dish for guests! There were four of us at the table and I guarantee you there was nothing left. It’s a recipe that creates the event and it’s also as if we’re giving people permission to host casually and simply.”
RICARDO Media’s strength comes from people like Étienne who bring their personal touch and expertise to the company. It’s thanks to his talent—and that of all our employees—that we can offer such beautiful (and delicious) content. For opportunities and job offers within the company, click here.