Now in English - Celebrity chef Ricardo launches Canada's one and only national food magazine

TORONTO, Sept. 15, 2014 /CNW/ - With today's launch of Ricardo magazine, Canadians can now proudly say they have a national food magazine.

"This has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember," explains celebrity chef Ricardo, owner of the magazine and the man behind the brand. "We believe men and women from Victoria to St. John's are hungry for Canadian content that brings their families together in the kitchen and around the table, enables them to save time and money, teaches them healthy eating habits and even helps them contribute to their local communities."

The 164-paged launch issue of Ricardo is bursting with fall recipes, tips and ideas. Among the over 50 recipes and features are:

• FRIENDSGIVING: A unique Thanksgiving meal at Ricardo's—featuring a stress-free menu planner and handy hosting tips. 
• THE APPLE PIE PROJECT: Seven variations on iconic Canadian Apple Pie plus the perfect, no-fail pastry.
• THE ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE: Tips for making the best gooey, chewy, straight-from-the-oven batch.
• CREATIVE SPUDS: Ideas to elevate the humble potato into a culinary star.
• VIBRANT VEGGIE MAINS: A series of bright and flavourful vegetarian dishes.
• THE TRUTH ABOUT TOFU: An exposé on this handy, healthy and inexpensive ingredient that has suffered from a lacklustre reputation…until now.

Every issue will also include a family-friendly "Ricardo for Kids" section, a "Weekday Wonders" weekly menu planner, a "Safe-Eats" section for Canadians with dietary restrictions and shopping tips from our Test Kitchen experts.

Ricardo has brought together some of the country's top lifestyle experts to bring a fresh perspective and unique stories to the English edition. They include Amy Rosen (Food and Travel), Mary Luz Mejia (Food News), Corey Mintz (Entertaining), Rob Sproule (Gardening), Jennifer Sygo (Health and Nutrition), as well as Eric Velland and Sommelier John Szabo (Wine & Drink), among many others.

The magazine will be published six times a year and will be distributed from coast-to-coast at all major retailers.

The French edition of Ricardo, which launched in 2002, continues to be one of the most successful French-language magazines in Quebec, boasting a minimum 20% increase in readership in each of the last three years.   

Ricardo Media is an independent, entrepreneurial-driven private company run by Ricardo and his wife Brigitte Coutu, the President of the company. The two magazines fit seamlessly into Ricardo's existing world of lifestyle products and programming aimed at helping Canadians succeed in the kitchen and celebrate food. 

ABOUT RICARDO MEDIA
Ricardo is a chef and a charismatic, easygoing communicator, but Ricardo is also a brand for a contemporary lifestyle. Ricardo Media, inspired by strong family values, works hard to promote the importance of cooking and eating as a family within cross-platform high-quality content. Ricardo's own TV production company—350 Degrees Productions—specializes in lifestyle and cooking shows. Ricardo magazine is a resounding success in Quebec, reaching 742,000 readers every issue. With more than 4,000 triple-tested recipes and hundreds of how-to videos, ricardocuisine.com is a bilingual foodie destination for more than 1.8 million unique visitors. Ricardo created a line of kitchen utensils that are sold in over 600 stores from coast to coast. Launched in March 2014, Larrivée Vins du Monde is Ricardo's latest success: with two South African wines, this new label reflects Ricardo's personality and taste.

Image with caption: "Ricardo Magazine: Canada's new cooking magazine (CNW Group/Ricardo Media)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140915_C3832_PHOTO_EN_5672.jpg

SOURCE: Ricardo Media

Rebecca Rykiss--Weber Shandwick, [phone], [email protected]; FOLLOW US: ricardocuisine.com, EN: facebook.com/ricardocuisine, @ricardorecipes