Gail Simmons In Conversation with Michelle Rabin

Join us as we welcome Top Chef judge Gail Simmons for a Canadian exclusive conversation about her new book, Guesting, featuring practical, witty advice on guest etiquette, thoughtful gestures and the art of being a gracious guest.

Scores of culinary voices, from Martha Stewart and Ina Garten to Jake Cohen and a new generation of cooks and authors, have taught us how to set a table, design a menu and pair food and drink to become great hosts. Now, Top Chef judge Gail Simmons is turning the tables on entertaining advice, offering critical guidance on how to be a great guest.

In her new book, Guesting, Simmons presents hospitality as a shared choreography. If hosting is about creating a welcoming space, guesting is about entering it with awareness, generosity and ease. At a time when technology has made connection more fragmented and in-person gatherings more precious, she suggests that showing up well for others is a social skill worth reclaiming. Drawing on her life as a trusted voice in food and culture and as the perennial, Simmons offers a witty, practical guide to guest etiquette, including her 13 rules, what thoughtful contributions to bring to gatherings and how to navigate other people’s spaces with confidence and care.

Gail Simmons

‍Gail is a celebrated culinary expert, food writer and television personality, best known as a long time judge on Bravo’s Emmy-winning series Top Chef. Born and raised in Toronto, she trained at New York’s Institute of Culinary Education and went on to build a distinguished career in food media, including 15 years at Food & Wine magazine. She is the author of several books, including Talking with My Mouth Full and Bringing It Home, and her latest, Guesting: How to Show Up, Win Over Your Host, and Make the Most of Any Occasion, explores the art of being a thoughtful and gracious guest.

Michelle Rabin

Michelle is a culinary producer, food stylist, recipe developer & creator whose work centers on the connection between food & storytelling. She has produced digital food content reaching millions of viewers, including starring in &helping create Netflix's Just A Dash with Matty Matheson. Her upcoming Penguin Random House book Tuna Meltdown (Spring2028) is part cookbook, part self-help, & dives into her comfort foods, hosting tips & the beautiful chaos that happens when life doesn't go according to recipe.

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