Maddie and Kiki®

Growing up, our mom did all the barbecuing in our household. We learned that unlike what we were seeing on TV and in the movies, not all Dads like the stereotypical role of being behind the BBQ with tongs in their hands. She taught us how to BBQ, and we very quickly realized that this was uncommon in the world of BBQ. We both have University degrees in Psychology and worked as Employment Counsellors before finally making the leap to quit our day jobs to pursue our passion full-time. The only regret we have is…why didn’t we do it sooner?! We pitched a show about BBQ to our local Roger’s station, and the rest, as they say, is history!

Q: What inspires you in the BBQ/Cooking world?

We’re inspired by our taste buds, first and foremost. We’re inspired by what’s growing in the garden, or what we can find locally. We’re not into ‘ego cooking’ (we all know what that means – we’ve all seen these cooks online. You know, when people just get a large amount of different types of meats and cook them over an open fire to ‘look cool’ to their followers. Realistically, unless you’re cooking for a wedding or GIANT family, it’s very clear these cooks are being done to get views, and we don’t support that.

Q: How would you describe your cooking?

Our cooking isn’t what one may deem as ‘traditional BBQ.’ Sure we’ve done the long, slow briskets and ribs, and definitely have cooked our fair share of smoked chickens (we once smoked about 50 chickens for an event that got rained out! Needless to say, chicken was on the menu that week!). Now, we focus more on what our family likes to eat, and our recipes reflect that. We love thinking of the BBQ as an outdoor grill, and we make all the foods we love on it. Breads, smoked vegan cheeses, crème brûlée…we love adding smoke flavour to non-traditional dishes.

Q: What are your goals/dreams in the BBQ/cooking world?
We are from what many to consider to be the ‘Food Network’ golden age of television, and when we started out in our career, our main goal was to get our own cooking show on Food Network. We even got a meeting with the Executives at Food Network, who told us we were too ‘green’ at the time (this was close to a decade ago!) and, even though they were absolutely right, the wind got taken out of our sails. Since then we’ve really learned the value of picking yourself up again, and working hard to get where you want to be. We aren’t as rigid in our goals now. In our opinion, the best part of the future is not knowing what will happen and enjoying the ride.

Q: Would you use the same type of rig for smoking versus barbecuing, or are you using different equipment?

We have cooked and tested MANY rigs, and are always asked what the BEST BBQ there is, or if the average home cook needs to buy multiple grills. Truthfully, even with as many BBQs as we own, we do a lot of grilling AND smoking on our Weber Kettle and Big Green Egg. We always make sure to tell people that it’s not the unit that’s doing the smoking/barbecuing, it’s YOU! If you can learn the fundamentals of controlling a fire, and setting up a unit, you will be able to smoke/BBQ on literally anything.

Q: Favourite cut of meat to cook?

Maddie: Lamb/Octopus

Kiki: Venison, Wild Turkey

Q: Favourite vegetable to cook?

Maddie: Asparagus, Zucchini

Kiki: Celeriac, Mushrooms

Q: What’s your favourite thing to cook/smoke/grill?

That’s like asking what’s you’re favourite thing to eat! 

Q: Are there any non-meat items you like to throw on a smoker?

YES! There are plenty! One of our goals has been to change the way people think of BBQ, as Kiki can’t eat meat because of a medical condition. Since her diagnosis, we’ve learned so much about how to make plant-based foods using smoke as a secret ingredient. Some of our favourite vegan dishes to make in a smoker include cold-smoked vegan cheese and Kiki’s famous tofu pastrami for a Reuben sandwich (we made this at a large event, and had meat-eaters and non-meat eaters coming up for seconds and thirds!)

Q: What is something you cook or BBQ that most people wouldn’t think was going to be good but it’s delicious? 

Two of the biggest ‘ICK’ comments we receive when doing live events or teaching classes is if we’re using tofu, or lamb. Our answer is always, ‘it’s probably because you haven’t had it made right!’ Of course something isn’t going to be that great if the person cooking it doesn’t know the TRICKS to making it incredible.

Q: For newbies starting out, what kind of rig do you think they should use? Would you say people should use pellet, offset or use a Weber kettle?

The best ‘intro to grilling’ BBQ in our opinion is the Weber Kettle. It’s price point makes it accessible to many, and it’s a tried and true classic for a reason. They’re easy to operate, and easy to make delicious BBQ on. For those that live in apartments or can’t have other types of grills, pellet is a good option in those circumstances.

Q: If you were going to compete in a grill-off against Bobby Flay, what dish would you make?

We have competed in many TV BBQ competitions, and Maddie won a cook-off with Smoked Hand-Rolled Sausages over Herbed Polenta, and Kiki won a cook-off with Smoked Beef Vietnamese Pho. We don’t go down without a fight!

Q: What’s your favourite Rub?

We are constantly trying new rubs, and are graciously sent rubs from members of the BBQ community looking for feedback on their secret recipe. To us, a great rub doesn’t have sugar, MSG or anything else weird. We think the ingredients that no one can pronounce should stay in the science lab. A rub we can’t get enough of lately has been the Cluck & Squeal Bold Browning. There’s something in it we can’t put our finger on that has us returning for more.

Q: What is your favourite sauce?

Maddie: Mayo

Kiki: Tamari

Q: What is a good tip about using Cluck & Squeal when cooking?

Don’t limit your uses to seasoning meats/vegetables only. We love using Cluck & Squeal Savoury Spicy as a glass rimmer, and the Cluck & Squeal Montreal Seasoning on popcorn!

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