At The Place with Chef Erica Karbelnik
Chef Erica started cooking professionally as an apprentice under chef Mark McEwan at ONE Restaurant, which led to a full-time position. Since then, Chef Erica has travelled across the globe, bringing flavours from each country into her cooking. She has worked alongside some of Canada’s most recognized chefs, training in classic French and Italian cuisine.
Chef Erica won Chopped Canada and competed alongside her husband Chef Josh Karbelnik on Food Network Canada’s Top Chef Canada, which she took home the title and grand prize. During this competition, she honed her Moroccan-Israeli background defining her cooking style.
In 2022, Chef Erica represented Canada in the V1 Campeonato Mundial De Tapas in Spain against 15 of the world’s best. She’s gone onto many shows and competitions such as Recipe for Disaster, Gusto TV’s Bring on the Karbs and The Chef Collective.
Currently, she and her husband own and operate Karbs Catering & Private Events. Where they specialize in bringing customized tasting menus and Michelin-style dining to the comfort of their guest's homes and events.
We sat down with Chef Erica to get to know more about how she got started, what ingredients she can’t live without and what we can expect to see more of from her this year.
How did you get started in content creation?
In addition to cooking, I love food styling. So I wanted to find an outlet where I could create recipes and share them with whoever wanted to see them. I just started cooking, snapping photos, filming, and putting them up on my Instagram. From there, everything just fell into place.
How do you come up with inspiration for your content and/or recipes?
I cook what I like to eat. Basically, whatever I’m feeling for that day, I’ll make. I’ll scroll Instagram and find pretty pictures of food and say, I want to make that and I get into the kitchen.
What are your secrets for styling your videos and/or recipes?
Textures, layers, and colours. Always having a contrast. Whether it’s an extra plate stacked underneath what you’re presenting, a cloth, or spices spread all over the table. There needs to be a main focal point and then accents to draw your attention. And of course, lots of natural light. That’s often the hardest part because you need to film at the right point of the day and map your shot list around that.
When you’re filming recipes, do you follow a recipe or freestyle?
Depends on the recipe. If it’s baking, I’m generally looking at my measurements. If it’s not baking, I’m free styling the majority of the time. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but that’s all part of the creative process and fun.
What’s one ingredient or piece of equipment we will always find in your kitchen?
You’re guaranteed to always find lemons in my kitchen. As for equipment, my stand mixer. It’s my baby, and I couldn’t function without it.
If you could swap kitchens with any chef or creator in the world for a day, who would it be and why?
Eden Grinshpan (@edeneats). Have you seen her kitchen? It’s my dream. Or Tieghan Gerard (@halfbakedharvest), her studio is stunning, and I hope to have a combo of both one day.
If you could create a signature dish that represents your brand, what would it be?
That’s a hard one. Pretty much anything with tahini in it. I don’t think there could just be one dish that represents me. It’s more of a collection of dishes with a specific genre, if you will. I’m not a one-dish kinda girl.
How do you balance being a chef and a content creator? Do you ever just want to cook without the camera?
Yes, absolutely. It can get exhausting. But then, when I don’t bring out the camera, I generally kick myself afterwards and say I should have filmed that! So I end up doing it again. But it’s all part of the process. Sometimes it makes the recipe even better.
I’m a chef first. So that will always take precedence. I also have my own company - Karbs Catering and Private Events - which I have to manage social media and content creation. It’s all about prioritizing. If I have some time in the morning before an event, I will try to whip something up and do a quick filming. A lot of content doesn’t make it onto my social platforms. My phone hates me for how much I have on it. But then you hit the gems that worked and look good, it’s worth it. But again, I’m a chef and business owner first. If it’s not a recipe I can share, it’s a day in my life.
You have to cook a meal with only five ingredients – what are they?
You’re really putting me on the spot here. I would have to say tahini, lemon, chili / Aleppo pepper, ricotta, and fennel.
What can we expect from Chef Erica K in 2025?
My husband and I just filmed a new season of Bring on the Karbs with Gusto TV, and I am working on a cookbook proposal that I cannot wait to share! Bring on 2025 and the years to come. There’s so much that I want to do.