recipes & stories
We are reminded of the power of food and how it connects us to our culture, identity, family, and community. What is your go-to comfort food? Below is a growing collection of recipes and memories of comfort food from newcomers and Canadians. Check out our Instagram to read more stories!
Maria’s Fruit & Spice Holiday Cake
I’m excited to share a recipe that is close to my heart, one that is extra special during the holidays: my Fruit & Spice Holiday Cake.
When I first began baking in Peru, the holidays were just around the corner, and I thought a festive fruit cake would be the perfect treat to make and sell. I found a promising recipe and practiced it every single day for a whole month – yes, 30 days straight! I invited friends and family to taste it, listened to their feedback, and adjusted it again and again.
After many tweaks, we finally found “the one,” and that year we sold 100 cakes. It was the beginning of my baking journey, and that’s why I’m so happy to share it with you today.
Recipe
You’ll need:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
200 g unsalted butter (about 7 oz or almost 1 cup)
2 cups sugar (white or brown)
2 teaspoons lemon zest
5 large eggs
1 cup chopped and toasted pecans
200 g chopped golden raisins (about 1 ¼ cups)
200 g chopped dark raisins (about 1 ¼ cups)
¾ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ cup orange juice
Preparation
Mix the raisins and pecans together and set aside.
Sift the flour three times.
Add the salt, baking powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
Take ½ cup of the flour mixture and combine it with the raisins and pecans. Mix well and set aside. (This keeps them from sinking in the cake.)
In a large bowl, beat the butter until soft and creamy.
Add the sugar and mix until smooth and fluffy.
Add the eggs one by one, mixing until the batter is light.
Add the dry ingredients and orange juice alternately, start with dry and end with dry. Mix only until combined.
Fold in the raisins and pecans gently with a spatula. Pour the batter into a greased cake pan and bake at 180°C / 350°F for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let it cool, unmold, and enjoy!
Rocio’s Raspberry Kuchen
“In southern Chile, a wave of German migration colonised the Llanquihue lake area, influencing the food and traditions of the region. My grandmother grew up in a small countryside town nearby, and taught me a recipe close to my heart: raspberry kuchen. At fifteen, she went to work for German Catholic priests, where the Chilean housekeeper with strong German roots took her under her wing and taught her how to cook some classics.
Among those recipes, raspberry kuchen became a family treasure. It celebrates the south’s wild berries and rich dairy, and for us, it’s the taste of gathering around mate tea on a rainy afternoon. To this day, my grandmother still lovingly bakes a big tray for everyone to share.”
Recipe (for a 9-inch cake pan)
Base Ingredients
50 g butter (room temperature)
60 g white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
100 g white flour
½ tsp baking powder
20 ml milk
Cream Filling Ingredients
420 ml milk
280 ml heavy cream
70 g cornstarch
154 g sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice
400 g raspberries
Crumbs Ingredients
150 g all-purpose flour
110 g light brown sugar
50 g granulated sugar
1 tsp lime zest
Pinch of salt
113 g melted butter
Preparation
Preheat oven to 370°F. Butter and flour the pan.
Base: Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; add egg, dry ingredients, then milk. Mix until smooth. Spread the batter in the pan, press in some raspberries, and bake 15 min.
Crumble: Mix dry ingredients; add melted butter until crumbly. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
Cream Filling: combine and simmer milk, cream, sugar, and cornstarch over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once it boils, cook for one more minute. Remove from heat; add lemon and vanilla. Pour in the remaining raspberries.
Spread the mixture evenly over the baked base. Cover with the crumble and bake for 25 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden. Cool completely, remove from pan, and dust with icing sugar.
Claudia’s Arepa Reina Pepiada
“The Reina Pepiada is one of Venezuela’s most beloved arepas, one that deliciously blends tradition, pride and creativity. This creamy chicken and avocado filling wrapped in a warm corn pocket carries a whole piece of history.
In 1955, when Susana Duijm became the first Venezuelan woman to win Miss World, a popular arepera in Caracas created a special arepa in her honour. They called it “Reina Pepiada”: reina meaning queen, and pepiada meaning a charming, beautiful woman. Since then, this flavourful arepa has become a national classic, the kind families enjoy at any time of day, often with fresh juice or a warm drink.
Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and full of flavor, enjoy the Reina Pepiada any time of day, for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!”
Recipe
Yield: 3 large arepas
Total time: 1 hour
Chicken Ingredients
2 pcs of 500 g chicken breast
800 ml water
42 g red bell pepper (diced)
75 g white onion (strips)
10 g fresh cilantro
8 g salt
8 g Goya seasoning or adobo
8 g garlic powder or 3 garlic cloves
Filling Ingredients
Shredded cooked chicken
71 g white onion (finely diced)
55 g cilantro (finely diced)
3 tbsp chicken broth
221 g avocado (about 1½)
Juice of 1 lime
150 g mayonnaise
1 g black pepper
3 g salt
Arepas Ingredients
195 g PAN precooked corn flour
300 ml chicken broth
Canola oil (for the pan)
Garnish
½ avocado, thinly sliced
Preparation
Cook the chicken:
Combine chicken, water, bell pepper, onion, cilantro, garlic, salt, and seasoning. Cook over medium heat for 45 minutes. Remove the chicken, let it cool, and shred it. Reserve the broth.Make the filling:
Mix shredded chicken with onion, cilantro, and 3 tbsp broth. In a separate bowl, mash the avocado and mix with mayonnaise, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Combine both mixtures until creamy.Make the arepas:
In a bowl, mix the PAN corn flour with the chicken broth. Knead until the dough is soft and smooth. Shape into 3 balls and flatten them into medium-thick discs. Cook on a greased pan over low heat for 5 minutes per side or until golden brown.Assemble:
Slice each arepa open and fill generously. Top with thin slices of avocado.