Mary's Kitchen Crush Season 1, Episode 23: Birthday Dish

1

Mary Loves Myra

Myra Berg is not just an amazing mom, she’s also Mary Berg’s #1 fan! To thank her mom for all of her love and support, Mary gives Myra a giant food hug with a fresh and flavourful spin on a favourite: lamb. Berg prepares herb and garlic stuffed lamb tenderloin, served with oven-roasted asparagus topped with crispy capers and pistachios to pack extra crunch. Myra also loves garlic bread, so Berg serves up a side of buttery garlic and herb flatbread, and finishes off the meal with a sweet-tart strawberry-rhubarb galette for dessert.

2

Sarah Loves Steak

Mary Berg has some powerhouse friends, especially Sarah, who is really killing it in her career. Sarah is taking the tech world by storm, so Mary shows her pride for her friend’s success by preparing the perfect dinner. For this meat and potatoes kind of girl, Mary gives Sarah a gift of prosciutto-wrapped beef tenderloin, pommes aligot – which is basically the cheesiest of cheesy mashed potatoes – and her favourite veggie, roasted broccoli. Mary finishes things off with a flaky apple strudel for dessert.

3

Myra the Entertainer

In the Berg family, Myra may be the party queen, but Mary rules the pantry. When it’s Myra’s turn to entertain, Mary steps in to let Myra flourish as the social butterfly instead of a “so-so” cook. For Myra and her friends, Mary makes some stout-boosted beer-braised short ribs and a warm kale and brussel sprout slaw punched up with pomegranate seeds. For dessert, Mary bakes a crowd-pleasing carrot cake that these ladies may never recover from.

4

Breakfast for Dinner

When kids are in the mix, breakfast is the new dinner! Family friends Isaac, Teegan, and Aria are usually fed healthy fare, but when Mary Berg is in charge, they’re in for a sweet treat! She’s preparing the perfect peanut butter and banana-stuffed French toast with a thick and creamy banana caramel sauce, along with some sweet and juicy maple breakfast sausages, and a healthy-ish cereal milkshake. These kids are sure to be in breakfast heaven.

5

When Mary Met Aaron

The very first meal Mary Berg made for her husband, Aaron, was some less-than-perfect pasta. For their anniversary, Mary celebrates with a dinner re-do, taking that simple Italian meal and making it a million times better. Aaron is in for a treat with some plump and fluffy ricotta gnudi topped with a toasty brown butter and tomato sauce. To soak up the extra sauce, there’s a roasted garlic parmesan focaccia with an herb oil on the side. For dessert there’s a delectable hazelnut mocha biscotti for espresso dunkin’!

6

Game Time Grub

Mary Berg and sports don’t typically mix, but when her sports-fan friends are over for the big game, Mary scores all the points in the kitchen. Girlfriends Odie, Marissa, and Sarah are in for a treat with a smorgasbord of stadium food staples. Berg hits it out of the park with deep-fried corndog mac ‘n cheese, everything bagel inspired pretzel dogs, and some rich, chocolaty ice cream bars to bring it home.

7

Celebrating Dad

For Mary Berg, there is no better way to remember a loved one than by sharing a meal inspired by them! Mary’s father passed away when she was a child, and she loves looking back on fond memories of him with her mom and brother. For her family, Mary is cooking up a Ken Berg inspired southern barbeque chock full of all of her father’s favourites, including some sticky and sweet apple bourbon pork ribs, crispy cornbread, the perfect parmesan zucchini, and a double chocolate walnut sundae for dessert.

8

Pride

Mary Berg’s always up for a good party, especially when Pride rolls around! Pride is about embracing individuality and love – and Mary is all about love. Friends Veronica, Ernie, and their partners are ready to celebrate when they pop by for a fresh and flavourful summer soirée. Mary spices things up with a lively citrus-marinated chicken accompanied by a sweet and creamy ciabatta with ricotta, peaches, corn, and herbs. This party would not be complete without a side of spirits, so Mary prepares a refreshing watermelon frosé.

9

Cousin's Summer

For Mary Berg, tradition runs deep, and the season just wouldn’t be the same without the annual “Cousins’ Summer” – a fun and food-filled get together with Mary and her cousins Lindsay, Molly, and Adam. The gang usually gets caught up in chatting away and has no time to cook, so tradition always called for Indian take-out. This year is different because Mary delivers her own spin on some of their Indian favourites. She shows some love with a rich and creamy coconut butter chicken, crunchy onion bhaji rings, and a must-eat mango kulfi for dessert.

10

Southern Charm

Mary Berg’s Aunt Joanie is part family, part friend, and a whole lot of fun! When Mary was younger, Joanie was a fixture on family trips to South Carolina, so Mary channels her inner Southern Belle by whipping up a southern meal so the two can reminisce. It’s all about bold flavours and fond memories as they eat their way down memory lane with a sweet molasses-marinated flank steak, spicy pimento cheese stuffed zucchini blossoms, and a perfectly maple pecan pie.

11

Turkey with a Twist

Mary Berg and her family give thanks with a feast of family favourites and turkey with a southern twist.

12

A Very Mary Holiday

The Berg family is getting together for some post-holiday fun, so Mary repurposes holiday ingredients to elevate her leftovers including a mouth-watering pork roast with a balsamic dijon glaze, perfectly crispy parmesan potatoes, and a salad remixed with holiday roasted veggies.

13

Book Lunch

Mary celebrates the birth of her first ‘cookbook baby’ with a scrumptious soup and sandwich lunch for her editor and photographer friends.

14

Apply to be Nominated

Mary Berg transports her guests to Old Hollywood with retro-themed crab cakes and fondue at her annual award show screening party.

15

Brunch Engagement

Mary Berg pops some champagne to celebrate her brother’s engagement with a fresh and flavourful English brunch.

16

Bon Appetit

Mary Berg and her friend Marissa plan the perfect Parisian getaway over a French-inspired meal sprinkled with some Mary magic.

17

More Is More

Mary Berg’s friend Rob loves a good food indulgence, so she’s giving him all the guilty pleasures with a meaty, cheesy lasagna dinner.

18

A Fish Full of Flavour

Mary Berg shows some love to her friendly MasterChef Canada rival, Jeremy, with a flavourful fish dinner.

19

Charity Dinner

Mary Berg serves up some tasty ratatouille for her friend Kallie as they chat about charitable causes for Mary to support.

20

Raising the Bar

Mary Berg kicks her friend Sam out of her comfort zone by putting a veggie spin on her favourite bar foods.

21

Swipe Bite

Mary Berg inspires her mom to dive into dating with a delicious squash pasta carbonara designed to get her in the mood for love.

22

Canadian Long Weekend

Summer long weekends are all about fun, food, and friendly hangs, so Mary and her husband host their friends with a Canadian-inspired menu.

23

Birthday Dish

Mary goes big for her sister-in-law Jenna’s birthday, turning some classic kid-centric birthday party favourites into grown-up goodness.

24

Prep for Time

Meal prep never tasted so good as Mary Berg spins a pesto chicken and roasted vegetable dinner into three more meals to spare.

25

Tuesday Night

It’s a burger bonanza with Mary Berg treating her husband Aaron’s friends to fast and flavourful midweek feast.

26

Versa-EAT-ily

It’s pulled pork to the rescue as Mary Berg makes magic with a versatile meal for her married friends who have very different tastes.

27

Delicious Drop-in

Mary Berg makes magic on short notice when her friend Sarah pays a surprise visit, serving up a fridge clean-out chicken pot pie.

28

Dinner for One

Mary Berg is her own guest of honour so she sears up some delicious salmon for her dinner for one.

29

Pressure Cooking

Mary is up for the challenge of impressing her MasterChef Canada former competitor, Veronica, with some next-level comfort food.