Modern Gifts: Books For Cooks

In a year when more of us than ever are cooking at home, there’s a star-studded lineup of new cookbooks for inspiration.  Just in time for holiday gifting, there’s something for everyone and here are some of the best. 

ALWAYS ADD LEMON  

American born Danielle Alvarez, an exciting young chef cooking in Australia, believes that just a squeeze of lemon can elevate anything, that cooking is a way to discover new cultures, new ingredients and new ways of doing things. Her 100 nourishing recipes and inspiring kitchen projects make it an ideal choice for aspirational home cooks looking for adventurous eats.  

FLAVOR EQUATION

 If you crave flavour – and who doesn’t these days – Nick Sharma, a molecular geneticist, bestselling cookbook author and stunning food photographer has the answer. Simple, big,  flavourful dishes using everyday ingredients are his forte.  Drawing on his scientific background, he examines flavours such as bitterness, saltiness, brightness, showing how to up the ante in over 100 recipes, turning something as ordinary as a sweet potato into an extrordinary dish. One of the most anticipated books of the season.    

OH SHE GLOWS FOR DINNER

For more than a decade, Angela Liddon has been the queen of plant-based cooking, with a world-wide following. In this, the third in her Oh She Glows series, she  deals with  dinner, providing readers with  family friendly recipes, thoughtful tips and time-saving tricks for creating healthy meal-time options.

LET’S BRUNCH 

“We’re becoming a brunch culture,” says Belinda Smith-Sullivan.  Without rules, brunch menus can range from traditional breakfast fare to steak and potatoes and everything in between.   One hundred creative suggestions and simple recipes for the best  meal of the week  might just turn Brunch into the new dinner party. 

DINING IN PARADISE

Longing to travel? Cooking with this delightful book could be the next best thing to visiting  the islands of The Bahamas. Raquel Fox who teaches at George Brown College, a Bahamian by birth, learned  from her grandmother the traditional island cooking that she shares here. Enjoy a magical cultural tour and an exotic culinary experience. 

THE SOURDOUGH SCHOOL SWEET BAKING

If it rises, it can be made with sourdough. Here’s how home cooks can take the COVID bread-making phenomenon to a sweet new level.  In addition to lip-smacking recipes, Vanessa Kimbell, who  runs the Sourdough School in the UK, explains how sourdough helps to maintain the health and diversity of your gut microbiome.   

DINNER UNCOMPLICATED

Claire Tansey has been a valued member of the Canadian food scene for 20 years.
Dinner, Uncomplicated: Fixing a Delicious Meal Every Night of the Week is a deep-dive into making the daily dinner ritual easier, faster and less stressful – maybe even the highlight of your day.  

HAWKSWORTH THE COOKBOOK

From multi-award winning Vancouver chef, David Hawksworth, comes a stunning collection of exquisite dishes.  Home cooks may find this, his first book, daunting, but for the serious cook, Hawksworth, together with chef Stephanie Noel and Jacob Richler, offer an opportunity  to capture the magic of his fine-dining  world.  Gorgeous enough to be a coffee table addition and inspirational enough to punch home cooking up a notch or three.  

BIG MACS AND BURGUNDY  - wine pairings for the real world

New York wine pro Vanessa Price has created the go-to resource for pairing with more than 300 every day  foods.  An informative, hilarious romp through the wine world for newbie enthusiasts to seasoned connoisseurs and every food and wine lover in between.