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Home | Helen Doberstein

Helen Doberstein

Helen was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and has lived in the “GTA” (Greater Toronto Area) all her life. Her earliest memories of food are typical of the English/Irish cooking of the day, which in Helen’s words meant “gray vegetables, potatoes, and well-done meats, sometimes with a token salad.” Fancy wasn’t on the menu growing up. Helen’s mom taught her the basics so she wouldn’t starve, but the kitchen was always her mother’s domain. Intruders were welcome—to do the dishes.

As newlyweds, Helen and her husband became involved in round-robin dinner parties, which encouraged Helen to expand her cooking skills. Her most memorable dinner party involved a chocolate fondue that had so much kirsch in it she had to make coffee as everyone waited for cabs so they could get home safely. No one was given a choice to drive home after that dessert. (Helen deemed the night a huge success.) Not long after that, she started watching Julia Child and Jacques Pépin. In terms of cooking, she was hooked. Around the same time, Helen started collecting cookbooks and trying more and more new recipes and techniques in the kitchen. Soon everything was fair game.

Fortunately, when it comes to food, Helen’s family and friends are happy to try most anything that she’s prepared. The Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder with Stuffed Squash wowed her husband. Helen’s mother is extremely fond of the Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. The guys at the curling club loved the Duck Prosciutto and Bacon Jam.  And Helen? She’ll tell you that her favorite recipe is the Smoked Salmon Pizza. No, it’s the Sunday Roast Beef. Hmmm, it’s probably the Chilaquiles. Actually, like most of us, she’s not able to choose just one.

Helen and her husband now live in Churchill, Ontario, a quiet village an hour north of Toronto. They have three grown children, an 8-year-old granddaughter, 2-year-old grandson and a 4 legged furry rescue who had decided she is not a dog but a princess. Helen has worked for three of the major Canadian banks, as well as with her husband at his business in Toronto, and is currently an office administrator for the Lisbon Group in Bradford. She’s also spent many years teaching ceramics in the evenings, practicing archery, and making jewelry. She previously tested recipes for America’s Test Kitchen and when her tenure there was done, she discovered Leite’s. “I can’t imagine doing this for anyone else now,” she says. “I love the sense of community here and look forward to many more years of happy testing.”

Helen Doberstein
A piece of cheese Danish with fruit filling on a yellow plate, with the rest of the Danish and a cup of coffee nearby.

Cheese Danish with Fruit Filling

1 hr

An oval platter of veal piccata--veal cutlets, lemon sauce, sliced lemons, capers, and chopped parsley.

Veal Piccata

35 mins

A bowl of cheesy mashed potatoes, topped with scallions on a table with turkey and cranberry sauce.

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

45 mins

A platter filled with lemon-garlic chicken thighs, potato wedges, and lemon halves, and garnished with parsley sprigs.

Lemon-Garlic Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs

55 mins

A baked lemon cheesecake topped with raspberries in a metal skillet.

Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake

3 hrs

A grey plate filled with jalapeño popper halves and a bowl of white dip on the side.

Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers

25 mins

A white plate topped with crispy smashed potato salad sprinkled with pancetta and chives and topped with a creamy dressing.

Crispy Smashed Potato Salad

1 hr 10 mins

Two air fryer hasselback potatoes on a white plate with a person squeezing lemon over the top.

Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes

1 hr

A large white plate full of turmeric shrimp linguine with a serving spoon resting in it.

Turmeric Shrimp Linguine

35 mins

A white porcelain bowl filled with creamy red potato salad, topped with sliced scallions and a serving spoon resting inside

Creamy Red Potato Salad

1 hr 45 mins

A plate containing a halved air fryer Scotch egg, with a dollop of chutney on the side and in a bowl nearby.

Air Fryer Scotch Eggs

35 mins

Two bowls of Instant Pot New England fish chowder on a blue background

Instant Pot New England Fish Chowder

1 hr

Instant Pot Thanksgiving turkey on a platter garnished with figs, oranges, grapes, and sage, beside a carving set.

Instant Pot Thanksgiving Turkey

1 hr 40 mins

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Butterscotch Beer

45 mins

Four chocolate covered apple slices with a spider web design in a jar.

Halloween Chocolate Covered Apple Slices

30 mins

Three sweet and spicy tacos on a white plate with wedges of lime alongside.

Sweet and Spicy Tacos

30 mins

A sheet pan filled with roasted chicken thighs, apples, bacon, Brussels sprouts, and sweet potatoes.

Sheet Pan Chicken with Apples, Bacon, and Brussels Sprouts

1 hr

A white plate sitting on a folded napkin on a wooden table, with a pile of cheese crisps on top and one leaning against the plate.

Easy Keto Cheese Crisps

25 mins

A weathered wood table with a white plate, filled with 2 honey-soy covered trout, green beans, lime quarters, a pot of glaze and a large spoon.

Trout with Honey-Soy Glaze

30 mins

A jar of caramel sauce with some dripping down the side and a spoon in front of the jar.

Homemade Caramel Sauce

20 mins

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