Lucky me - I’m a food writer! I write cookbooks and magazine articles and my blog...

...I’m the food editor of Parents Canada magazine, I have a TV show on the Viva network in Canada called It’s Just Food, and I’m the food and nutrition columnist on the Calgary Eyeopener on CBC Radio One. I’m also mom to a 4 year old boy who is almost as enamoured with cooking as I am. Love it all.

How long have you been a Daring Baker/Daring Cook and what’s your favorite thing about being in the group(s) so far?

Hmmm... good question! A year, or thereabouts? I’m not sure I could pick a favourite thing about the group - I love having someone choose something for me to make that I might not otherwise attempt - Danish pastry from scratch, for example, which was a challenge in the height of summer last year - here I was making laminated dough in 30 degree heat, but it turned out beautifully! I also love seeing the different spins each baker puts on the same recipe - it goes to show that a certain recipe doesn’t turn out exactly the same for every cook - and it shouldn’t!

What’s your favorite kitchen gadget? How about your favorite kitchen appliance?

I love my hand-held immersion blender - allows me to puree soups right in the pot. Also my slow cooker and my food processor (Cuisinart).

Are you known for making a certain dish or dessert? If so, what is it?

I’m known more for trimming fat and calories from recipes - most notably desserts, as they’re trickiest. People know I lost 165 pounds my learning how to make all my favourite foods healthier without sacrificing taste (and I’m talking things like brownies and butter tarts and such) and so people come to me for advice in that area. Otherwise I don’t have one particular specialty!

You’ve just won $5000.00!!! What would you spend it on?

Sadly I’d put it toward the new roof and furnace we had installed earlier this year. If it was $500, 000 I’d travel! I so badly want to go to New York, Italy, Paris... I forgot to marry rich!

What is the ultimate comfort food to you?

Ice cream, half melted. Bliss. Or anything warm and meltingly cheesy.

Which season (Winter, Summer, Spring, Fall) is your favorite.. why?

Fall - hands-down. Love the harvest, the sun going from hot to warm, the leaves changing colour, the coming of Thanksgiving (it’s in early October in Canada) my birthday and Halloween, and then the start of Christmas! I also love the feeling of newness I associate with back-to-school time, the longer nights and warm comfort food.

You’ve had a rough week. How do you relax after a rough week?

My idea of heaven is lying on the couch, because I hardly ever do it. A pile of food magazines beside me (my house is where old issues go to die), order pizza and watch a movie. Sounds so dull, but I can’t imagine much better after a rough week. Unless someone were to fly me to Paris, of course - that would be good too.

Where is your favorite vacation (holiday) destination?

My parents just finished building a house in Tofino, on the furthest west coast of Vancouver Island in Canada. It’s stunning there. It’s a great food destination too - fantastic restaurants and a chocolate shop where they make the most incredible homemade ice cream - and the kids love to go crabbing, so we have many a late-night crab feast over Scrabble games.

Do you have a food addiction?

Yes. To all of it.

If you had the choice of a free kitchen, bathroom, living room or bedroom makeover – which would you choose and why?

Kitchen- no question! I adore it, it’s open and sunny and has a nook with a table from my friend’s grandmother’s kitchen in it, but I am in dire need of a new gas stove, and a new fridge wouldn’t be too bad either.

You can visit Julie on her blog Dinner with Julie