Margaret's Table

Rosemary Honey & Whisky Ginger Marmalade

Margaret's Table

“Margaret’s Table” is a TV series hosted by acclaimed cookbook author and entertaining expert Margaret Dickenson. Building on her multi-award-winning cookbooks, “From the Ambassador’s Table” and “Margaret’s Table”, her TV show inspires viewers to create memorable, easy-to-execute gatherings with delicious recipes, stunning food styling and expert entertaining tips.

Drawing from her extensive experience entertaining in eight countries as the wife of a former Canadian foreign service officer/ambassador, Margaret shares her practical secrets for hosting with flare and confidence.

With her passion for a creative and doable approach to entertaining, Margaret empowers both novice and seasoned hosts to add their own personal touch to every occasion.

Through her TV shows and cookbooks, Margaret infectiously and effectively always ensures her audiences that “You can do it too!”. She emphasizes that the thing is “to entertain”, no matter what you offer your guests - be it simple or something more.

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Host

Margaret Dickenson

Margaret, having been raised by a widowed mother on a dairy farm in Thunder Bay, learned at an early age to commit herself to hard work and resourcefulness. After graduating from the University of Guelph with a degree in foods and nutrition, she spent 27 exciting and rewarding years abroad, supporting her foreign service spouse. From the first of their eight different postings (2 as ambassador), Margaret gained a strong reputation for her creative culinary talents and her very personal and unique style of successful entertaining. That momentum continues today as an international, multi-award-winning cookbook author, plus creator and host of 3 TV series. She is the food columnist for “Diplomat International Canada” magazine, offers a popular one-day concise course on “ Social Protocol, Networking, Cocktail and Dining Etiquette”, plus “Mind Your Manners” for children. Margaret is renowned for her ongoing support of and enthusiastic commitment to a broad range of charities and fundraising activities - often hosting events in her home, as well as judging culinary competitions!

Tune in

Mon, Aug 4

7:30 PM

Wed, Aug 6

1:30 PM

Watch on Cable 22

Margaret Dickenson is a world-renowned cookbook author and Canadian TV show host. She has received more than a dozen international awards for her cookbooks, “From the Ambassador’s Table” (Blueprints for Creative Entertaining) and “Margaret’s Table” (Easy Cooking and Inspiring Entertaining).

She graduated from the University of Guelph with a degree in Foods and Nutrition. In recognition of her notable contribution to society and her ability to inspire others, she received the prestigious designation as the University of Guelph’s “Alumna of Honour 2013”.

Growing up as a child on a farm in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Margaret realized years ago that inviting people into their home for a meal or even coffee, was well appreciated by guests. Indeed, her busy mother, a widow, running a rather large dairy operation, never claimed to be too busy or intimidated to entertain. Margaret continues to enthusiastically demonstrate that same philosophy!

As wife of a former Canadian foreign service officer/ambassador, Larry Dickenson, Margaret has entertained tens of thousands of guests with limited assistance for the most part. During their 28 years in Canada’s diplomatic service with assignments in 8 different countries, Margaret developed her own very unique style of successful entertaining.

Her secret? To “Wow” guests with personally-developed tantalizing recipes, mesmerizing food styling and presentations, served with a true sense of occasion. Indeed, she creates sentiments that remain with her guests long after leaving her home. As Maya Angelou would say “People will forget what you said but never forget how they made them feel!”

After the immediate success of “From the Ambassador’s Table”, Margaret wrote and hosted her own 26 episode television series titled “Margaret Sense of Occasion”.

Upon Larry’s retirement and with avid requests for a second cookbook, Margaret and Larry worked as a devoted and loving team to self-publish “Margaret’s Table - Easy Cooking and Inspiring Entertaining”.

Her second television series, “Margaret’s Table”, has received remarkable appreciation by audiences amazed to see how creative entertaining can be so easy and inspiring.

To view her series, click on: Margaret’s TV Series tab on the homepage.

“Margaret’s Entertaining Minutes” already can be seen on this site.

Margaret enjoys having a strong and loving work ethic as well as a balanced life. During those 28 years abroad as diplomats, Margaret not only entertained thousands of guests, but she also worked professionally from teaching (primarily culinary courses and English as a second language), administering a business college (Kuwaiti), initiating the Canadian Museum of Nature’s Membership Program, to heading the largest non-governmental charity in Egypt.

Since returning to Canada in the late 90’s, Margaret has created and has been teaching a concise, very popular, one-day course on “Social Protocol, Networking, Cocktail and Dining Etiquette” and has been the food columnist for “Diplomat International Canada” magazine. She also offers a “Mind Your Manners” course for children.

Margaret is renowned for her broad range of charity and fundraising activities. She is a passionate supporter of organizations and institutions dealing with food insecurity, homelessness, medical concerns, education, victims of war and disasters, as well as community activities and the arts.

Occasionally, she offers a house tour and a multi-course cocktail dinatoire as a “live auction” item for charity events - or a private course given in her home on “Social Protocol, Networking, Cocktail and Dining Etiquette”. Every year, a graduate student at the University of Guelph in Global Development and International Affairs, is the recipient of scholarship established by her and her late husband.

Find Margaret's recipies in the Diplomat International Canada Magazine.

- “The Practical Certificate in International Social Protocol”: October 20, 2025 www.carleton.ca/npsia-ptd/

- “Mind Your Manners For Children” (ages 7-14): Fall 2025 (date to be announced)

- “The Practical Certificate in International Social Protocol”: February 18, 2026 www.carleton.ca/npsia-ptd/