Signe's Kitchen

Freelance Food, Lifestyle, Shelter, and Garden Writing, Recipe Developing, Ad Copy and Editing, Ghost Writing, Public Speaking and Social Media                            2007 – Present                              

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I currently write or have written for and edited several editorial print and online publications—The Toronto Star, Harrowsmith, LCBO’s Food & Drink, The National Post, Toronto Life, The Globe and Mail, Zoomer, Canadian Gardening, Garden Making, Canadian Living—to name but a few.

 

 

I also write for branded content publishers.

My first book, Happy Hens & Fresh Eggs; Keeping Chickens in the Kitchen Garden was published in fall 2015 by Douglas & McIntyre. I'm always looking for the opportunity to write another book.

I have done food and tabletop styling for Reader's Digest, Harrowsmith, Canadian Family, and more.

I ghost-write, edit, develop recipes and provide PR for food-focused businesses and other food writers and recipe developers (my lips are sealed).

Cooking
Private Chef, Caterer, Contract Chef, Signe's Kitchen      2017 - Present

I offer private dining. private cooking classes, catering, and custom food products, and consulting. 
 

Head Chef, Amber Restaurant, 119 Yorkville Ave.                    2005 – 2007
Developed upscale seasonal bar, dining room and catering menus
Responsible for all kitchen operations: menu planning, food costing, cooking, ordering, stock inventory, accounts payable, training and supervision of kitchen staff.

Head Chef, East Meets West, 744 Gerrard St. E.                         2003 – 2004
Developed dinner, bar and brunch menus. Responsible for all kitchen operations: menu planning, food costing, cooking, ordering, stock inventory, accounts payable, training and supervision of kitchen staff.

Co-Owner/Head Chef, Riverside Café, 730 Queen St. E.         1998 - 2003
Developed breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner and bar menus
Responsible for all areas of operation: menu planning, food costing, cooking, ordering, stock inventory, training and supervision of staff (kitchen and front of house), décor and design, marketing, customer and media relations, administration and accounting.

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Teaching
Cheese making - Haute Goat

Course development and teaching - Food Media at Centennial College 2017

Private culinary coaching
Planet Organic
Dish Cooking Studio
The Inspired Cook
Professor's assistant, Centennial College, Beat Journalism with Professor Colleen Tully
Toronto Botanical Gardens
Royal Botanical Gardens and numerous private garden clubs

New Amherst Kitchen

Culinary PR and Corporate Clients

West Coast Seeds - Brand Ambassador

Less Mess Enviro Bag - Brand Ambassador

Ti Kay La Foods - Complete rebranding and marketing strategy

Target USA - Packaging Copy

Globe Content Studio - Writing

South Pond Farms - PR, editing and writing

Deliciously Gorgeous by Bonnie Gordon
The Bonnie Gordon College of Confectionery Arts

Mighty Fine Brine

Murray's Farm - Sales, built and maintained website, PR

Leslieville Food & Drink Festival

Pan American Food & Music Festival
CHEF & SOMM - Bespoke Dining Private Chef and Sommelier Service
Viniferra Inn

Roger Mooking Consulting - MyPeepol
Sid Lee - Italian Trade Commission
Puratos Canada
Mary Macleod's Shortbread: contributed copy to SIA award-winning campaign What Cookie Are You Today?
Totem Brand Stories
Tavenberg Communications
Cool Climate Chardonnay
DDB Canada
CGTA - Retail News
California Walnuts
Campbell's
All Clad
All Bran
IDMG - Visa Infinite Dining Series FSI
OCTA - Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide

Eat Right Ontario

Ontario Apple Growers

Canadian Food & Culinary Dietitians

Food Styling Clients
Mary Macleod's Shortbread
Chef Christine Cushing
O'Doughs
TetraPak
Pita Break
Food & Drink magazine
City Bites magazine
Reader's Digest
The Globe and Mail
Canadian Family
Parent's Canada (cover)
Douglas & McIntyre Publishers

Education
Degrees in Fine Arts with Honours from OCAD and BFA from UofT
George Brown College: Food Writing l and ll, Copy Writing l, Wine Specialist Certificate.


Volunteering
Cowball - event planning and hosting, donation request and coordination, chefs and menu coordination, etc.
Bring Back the Don - tree planting
Hen Rescue - Cobble Hills Sanctuary
The Malt Exchange - my own initiative to bring spent brewery malt to farmers
Taste Canada - Judge - Cookbooks

Centennial College Advisory Panel on Food Media Curriculum, Secretary 

Citizen Advisor, Port Hope Environmental Awareness Working Group

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Accolades, Awards, & Engagements

2021

Guest on CBC's Ottawa Morning

Guest on Niki Jabbour's Gardening Radio Show

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2020

Guest on Talk 680 Radio's Food Therapy with Lynn Ogryzlo

Guest on CBC's Ontario Morning

Returning Guest on Niki Jabbour's Gardening Radio Show

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2019

Presenter at Cottage Life Show

Guest on Northumberland Radio's Chef's Corner

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2018

Awarded Second Place from Culinary Historians of Canada for the Canada 150 Food Blogs

Presenter at The National Home Show

Judge at Cultivate Festival

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2017

Guest on CBC's Fresh Air

Guest on CBC's Ontario Today

Authors for Indies

Interviewed for CBC's Here & Now

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2016

Shortlisted for Taste Canada Food Writing Award

Guest Chef-speaker at LifeStock with Joel Salatin

Guest on Canada AM
Frequent guest on Rogers Daytime
Guest on CHCH Hamilton Morning Show
Guest on CBC Newfoundland Morning Show
Guest on Let's Get Growing with Marjorie Mason

Guest on CBC's The Next Chapter
Guest on The 11th Hour with David Eddie
Guest on Let's Eat! with Zane Caplansky

Guest on CBC's Fresh Air

2015
Happy Hens named finalist for INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award
Spoke at Litfest Alberta
Edmonton Vue Weekly
Judge for the International Chocolate Awards 2015
This is the year I published my first book for Douglas & McIntyre; Happy Hens and Fresh Eggs; Keeping Chickens in the Kitchen Garden with 100 Recipes.
Interviewed to speak about urban hen rental services on the Pay Chen Show Talk Radio 1010
Invited to speak at Alberta LitFest

2014
Judge for Taste Canada - Canada Cooks the Books - at the Delicious Food Show
Judge for Taste Canada - Canada's Best New Cookbook
Panelist for the National Post's Shelf Life column
Guest Speaker at George Brown College with the WCN

2013
Judge for Taste Canada - Canada Cooks the Books - Royal Winter Fair
Judge for Taste Canada - Canada's Best New Cookbook
Interviewed on CBC's Metro Morning Canada Day show
Interviewed on 11 CBC local morning shows about how to throw a great yard sale and my piece on CanadianLiving.com
Complete Wine Specialist Certificate from George Brown College
Panelist for National Post's Shelf Life column
Judge for CGTA Best New Product Awards

2012
Guest on NewsTalk1010 with Gail Vas-Oxlade
Judge for Taste Canada - Canada Cooks the Books at The Royal Winter Fair
Judge for Ontario Independent Meat Processors
Chef at Taste of Nova Scotia at Harbourfront; live iron chef-type cooking competition
Appeared in mocumentary - Crack Down! - about urban hen keeping.
Interviewed by CBC Radio's Here & Now regarding urban hens.
Appeared on Roger's Daytime for TO Chickens for urban hens.
Short listed for the CBC Canada Writes Edible Non-Fiction prize for my story: George, Neil, Two Chickens and Me

2011
Reader's Digest Food Editor, Val Howes, blogged about me, my birds and my cast iron skillet chocolate cake.
Appeared on Roger's Daytime as Food Editor for Sweat Equity Magazine
Judge for Ontario Independent Meat Processors.
Interviewed on PUB RADIO about The Malt Exchange!
Profiled my initiative, The Malt Exchange, DIVERTING SPENT MALT by Ivy Knight in Edible Toronto magazine.
Panelist for The National Post's Shelf Life column.
Judge Bonnie Gordon Cake Show

2010
Recurring Panelist for The National Post's Shelf Life column.
Interviewed on CBC Radio about Summerlicious.
Appeared on Global News discussing Iron Chef, Michael Smith vs Bobby Flay.
Recurring appearances on CTV Kitchener for Zoomer Magazine; Not Your Kid's Super Bowl Party, A Different Shade of Green, Eating for Earth Day, Cool Climate Chardonnay, Father's day BBQ.
Nominated for National Magazine Award, for Fat of the Land, Foodservice and Hospitality Magazine, and Where to get Good Stuff Cheap, Toronto Life Magazine.
Appeared several times on Rogers Daytime for City Bites, cooking Aboriginal Cuisine.

2009
Recurring Panelist on National Post's Shelf Life column
Won Gold at the National Magazine Awards in Lifestyle for "The Best of Fall" package in Toronto Life
Appeared twice on Global News discussing current dining trends and how to 'dine local' in Toronto
Appeared twice on CTS Real Life http://www.reallifeoncts.com/ as spokesperson for the California Walnut Board
Appeared as a judge on Chef Worthy http://www.bigcoatproductions.com/showDetails.php?showId=1017 on Viva and W networks
Appeared on Rogers Daytime York Region and CTV Kitchener as spokesperson for the California Walnut Board

2008
Nominated for National Magazine Award in Lifestyle for “Eat, Drink, and be Daring” in Toronto Life—received Honourable Mention Award
Appeared on Canada AM
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/canada-am-am-kitchen-food-writer-signe-langford-with-potluck-tips/4021065898 
Panelist on The National Post's Shelf Life column: The Mother of All Cupcakes, Taking Stock of the Lox, Faux Ice Cream

2006
Nominated for “Nine of Dine Chefs of Distinction”
Toronto Star       “***” Review at Amber Fine Fare for a Cool Crowd
Toronto Life       Profiled in Raising The Bar by James Chatto
Toronto Star      Profile Woman Chefs Cook to Their Own Beat
Toronto Star      Contributor: Astro-Gastro, Canuck cooks whip up their version of space grub
Toronto Star      featured in the Top 10 Most Memorable Mouthfuls
Scoop Magazine  Profiled in Dishing It with Sara Waxman
Howstuffworks    Featured in The Best Nightlife in Toronto, "...Langford's food is stellar..."
Appeared on Rogers “Daytime”
Appeared at Gourmet Food and Wine Show

2004
Now Magazine    “NNN” at East Meets West, Flexing Mussels

2003
Toronto Star       “****” Review at Riverside Cafe and Bar, Glowing Riverside Welcome
Now Magazine     “NNN" at Riverside, Major Mussel Power
Toronto Life        "**1/2"
Appeared on City TV “Breakfast Television”
Appeared on Rogers “Toronto Dining”

2002
Toronto Star          Best Booze, in Best of 2002: Restaurants
Chef's Showcase  Riverside Cafe's Roasted Chicken Crepes
 

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