There’s never a dull knife moment when Bob Blumer’s in the kitchen—especially steps from Niagara Falls, where the artful chef was forced to prep 800 of his bite-sized “nut cases” at warp speed after a cancelled flight got him into town six hours before doors opened. These playful bites of Saint Agur cheese hugged between toasted meringue-coated walnuts were his flavour bombs of choice for the third annual Fallsview Food & Drink Fest.

As crowds flooded in, Bob tossed, candied and stuffed his culinary quirks with the same gusto that made him a food TV icon. You’ve seen him flipping and whisking through The Surreal Gourmet, World’s Weirdest Restaurants and Glutton for Punishment, where breaking Guinness World Records was just part of the gig.

How punishing, you ask? Try flipping 559 pancakes at the Calgary Stampede or cracking 2,069 eggs in an hour, one-handed at Québec’s Festival de l’Omelette Géante. Then there’s the 2,672 pounds of salsa he diced in Texas; and the 108 tableside Caesar salads tossed in Arizona in an hour. The seven-time Guinness World Record Champion even cried his way through peeling 50 pounds of onions in under 2.5 minutes—without shedding his cool.

Bob may live in Los Angeles under the “D” of the Hollywood sign, but this Montréal-born culinary daredevil still wears his Canadian apron with pride. His latest cookbook, Flavorbomb, makes food sing louder, crunch harder and pop with punch.

Over a cup of French press coffee in midtown Toronto I caught up with the whimsical gastronaut to dish on his latest passion project, food activism, and how he cooked his way out of prediabetes.

DS: You just completed Chefs Cycle—what’s that?
BB: It’s my 10th year riding for No Kid Hungry. This year over 125 chefs and hospitality pros rode. We cycle 100 miles a day for two days, raising close to $1 million this year to help food-insecure kids. I’m also an ambassador for Second Harvest in Canada. Borders don’t matter—food equality does. There’s enough food; we just need to move it where it’s needed. I use my Instagram platform @BobBlumer to shine a light on this issue. Everyone has a way to give—time, money or voice.

DS: Health matters, too.
BB: Big time. I tiptoed across the prediabetes line recently, so I overhauled my diet and cooked my way out of it in three months—the time frame an A1C test covers. I dropped 20 pounds without trying and wrote about it for AARP Magazine. If the article resonates, I might do a book. The secret? Low-carb eating.

DS: Health tip?
BB: Minimize carbs. You don’t need to quit them—just watch for the white culprits: bread, rice, pasta, potatoes and of course sugar. I still make three delicious meals a day. I just cook smarter.

DS: You’ve been called a gastronaut and surreal gourmet. Artist or chef?
BB: I’ve evolved into seeing myself as an artist. Ingredients are just one of my mediums. Whether I’m sculpting, painting or cooking, it’s all art to me. I create flavours and visuals. I want everything I make to be artful.

DS: Still living full tilt?
BB: Always. People see my schedule and go, “Oh my god.” I say, “I’m having the time of my life.” My biggest fear? Silence.