Chatelaine Fall 2025

I haven’t been a student for more years than I’d like to admit, but every fall I have the urge to buy a new four-colour pen and binder paper. I loved school, particularly its assignments and deadlines, which is probably why I chose a career that’s full of them. When I was a kid, September also marked a return to Guiding. I spent more than a decade in Brownies, Girl Guides and Pathfinders, and it taught me a lot about leadership, environmental stewardship and the importance of community engagement. I was also obsessed with earning badges. (In case it’s not clear by now, I’m very Type A.) As an adult, I’ve realized that most of my hobbies are goal-oriented. I run, because I’m trying to beat my previous marathon time.…

Welcome to Weeknight Hero—a delicious, slam-dunk recipe you’ll want to cook again and again, any night of the week. Pork Schnitzel with Fennel, Radicchio and Castelvetrano Olive Slaw PREP 25 MIN; TOTAL 40 MIN SERVES 4 This is schnitzel for fall: crispy pork cutlets, tangy slaw and roasted potatoes for an extra crispy bite. These olives, also called nocellara, are known for their mild, buttery flavour that even olive skeptics can’t resist. 680 g baby potatoes, halved4 tbsp olive oil, divided1 3⁄4 tsp kosher salt, divided1 lemon, zested and juiced1 tbsp grainy mustard1 large shallot, thinly sliced4 boneless pork cutlets, about 560 g1 cup all-purpose flour¼ tsp pepper2 large eggs1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbsCanola oil, for frying1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced1 small head radicchio, thinly sliced½ cup pitted Castelvetrano…

Miriam delos Santos hello_darling_co 44, WINNIPEG From oversized organza headbands to cozy colour-blocked wool dresses, Miriam delos Santos’ creations—which she sells through her label Hello Darling Co.—are the embodiment of dopamine dressing. After years of working (and dressing for) a corporate job, delos Santos taught herself to sew and started experimenting with the joyfully eclectic colour combos and voluminous silhouettes that are now her bread and butter as a full-time designer. “It came out of a desire to find myself again,” she says. “We go through so many different evolutions and iterations of ourselves, and we’re so lucky to have that gift of change.” For delos Santos, everything from the design process to the styling is intuitive: “There are colours that sing to me when I put them together.” Her…

We Love You, Bunny by Mona Awad It’s impossible to sum up this deeply weird and hilarious horror-fantasy fever dream, a sequel to 2019’s Bunny, in one sentence. Even Mona Awad herself hesitates when I ask her to do so. “I just say it’s a trip down the rabbit hole you’ll never forget,” she says with a laugh. In short: The original Bunnies (four truly effed-up MFA students) kidnap Samantha—the outsider who gets enmeshed in their messy circle in the first book—after she publishes a thinly veiled novel that portrays them in a less-than-flattering light. As each Bunny takes a turn sharing her version of previous events with Sam, we get pulled deeper into the first book’s dark, fuzzy and very bloody bunny-to-man creation story. The emoji-laden sections narrated by…

Hot Desk by Laura Dickerman Set in Manhattan, this charming dual timeline novel has notes of romance—but it’s really more of a love letter to the book publishing industry. Sept. 2 The Break-In  by Katherine Faulkner After killing an intruder in self-defence, privileged London mom Alice doesn’t face charges—but she does start obsessively investigating the not-so-random invasion. Out now. I Make My Own Fun by Hannah Beer On the surface, Hollywood superstar Martina is the world’s sweetheart. In reality, she’s an absolute monster who will do anything to get what she wants. Delicious! Oct. 14 Awake  by Jen Hatmaker After she discovers her pastor husband’s affair, Hatmaker—a podcaster, author, mom of five and self-described “problem child of the evangelical subculture”—rises from the ashes while interrogating her patriarchal upbringing.  Sept.…

1. HYBRID HexClad I was skeptical about HexClad’s hybrid design of stainless-steel webbing and non-stick grooves. How can you have the best of both worlds when stainless steel needs surface area for consistent heat and non-stick coatings don’t last forever? While I’ve only been using it for six months, I’m impressed with this pan’s performance so far. I can get a high sear on it, shove it in a 500F oven and—get this—even use metal utensils on it. What it isn’t is cheap; I suggest waiting for a sale. 10-Inch Hybrid Pan with lid, $240, hexclad.ca 2. CAST IRON Lodge There’s a reason restaurant pros and seasoned home cooks alike swear by Lodge. It’s sturdy as hell, heats up evenly, is compatible with virtually any cooking surface and is…