"Lists are your friend" — Top Chef host Eden Grinshpan reveals her kitchen hack while talking about new cookbook Tahini Baby

Top Chef Canada season 8 host Eden Grinshpan is back in the spotlight with the release of her new cookbook, Tahini Baby. In an exclusive interview with Artful Living on March 26, 2025, Grinshpan discussed the inspiration behind the book, her approach to vegetarian cooking, and shared her tips for home cooks and hosts alike.

Known for her cooking style and popular platform Eden Eats, she described how her family naturally shifted toward more vegetable-based meals, even though they aren’t strictly vegetarian. Tahini Baby features over 100 veg-based recipes rooted in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavors.

When asked about kitchen hacks, Grinshpan shared a piece of advice:

"Yes. Life hack: Preparing dessert in advance is a game changer. Also, lists are your friend! Make a list of what needs to get done, I’m talking every single step. It will change your life," she shared.

Throughout the interview, she also spoke about her creative process, favorite recipes from the book, and what she hopes readers will take away from it.

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Creative process and go-to dishes of Top Chef host Eden

While writing Tahini Baby, Eden Grinshpan said that she wanted the cookbook to focus on vegetable-based meals. Though her family still eats meat, she explained that the transition to cooking mostly vegetarian meals happened naturally over time.

"We embraced the shift and felt like nothing was missing," she said.

One of her standout recipes is the shroom shawarma.

"The mushrooms get the star treatment with all the seasoning and searing, which brings out the most incredible meaty texture and flavor," she noted.

The dish is served in fresh laffa and topped with garlicky tahini, celery zhoug, amba pepper sauce, and chopped veg salad. Grinshpan described it as a "choose-your-own-adventure kind of meal." She also finally shared her mother’s cheesecake recipe in the book, something her followers had been asking for over the years. In her words, “It’s a special one.”

Through her book, Top Chef host Grinshpan said she wanted to help readers make “bright and satisfying” meals that are easy to prepare. She shared that she applied all of her "favorite simple flavors and techniques" so every home cook will be able to make these recipes and weave them into their day-to-day lives.

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Hosting tips and life advice from Eden Grinshpan

Top Chef host Grinshpan prefers to host dinner parties family-style, with the spread ready as guests arrive.

“There’s already a gorgeous spread prepared upon arrival and everyone can dig into whatever catches their eye,” she explained.

This often includes a bread, like her Jerusalem bagel dinner roll, which she recommends baking first thing in the morning. It’s served with dips such as safta’s baba or whipped feta with crispy herbs and honey. She follows that with a salad, like her crispy spiced chickpea crunch salad with pomegranate, and a side dish, such as harissa and honey carrots with gremolata and labneh.

For the main course, she suggests herb-stuffed peppers in a black lime sauce, and dessert might be her sage-honey semifreddo. Her one request for every dinner:

“Important note: Every dinner should be served with garlicky tahini, please and thank you.”

When asked for life advice, Grinshpan kept it simple:

“Use your pretty plates, drink that expensive wine you have been saving, wear all your nice clothes and hang with your favorite people.”

The Top Chef host also mentioned the last thing that made her laugh, revisiting the film Dumb and Dumber. She shared that every line had her laughing.

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New episodes of Top Chef season 22 air every Thursday on Bravo.