The First Annual Christmas Cookbook Contest Page Two

Thanks to all of you who entered the contest. Entries are now closed, but please feel free to scroll through the comments on this page, and 'Page One' of the contest for some interesting reading on our Canadian cookbook preferences.

Comments

[Ann Wardle]

Hello Don,
my favorite cookbook is "The Encyclopedia of food & cookery" by Margaret fulton,not only does it have great recipies but it also has lots of useful information on food & dishes from around the world.Ann wardle Ottawa Ontario

[Joseph Dark]

I'm writing for my partner, I've found her stories about her mother's cook book very interesting, we thought about publishing something similar. During my partner's childhood her mother worked, not arriving home until after 5:00. It was up to her and her two sisters to cook supper for five five days of the week. Her mother's cook book had enough detailed receipes for these young girls to prepare a different meal each night for a number of weeks. Although, if was published some revision would be required. You see, her mother cooked like my mother, like the whole generation of mother, everything was overcooked and dry. But what a wonderful system her mother had to have a family meal every night.

[Noha Mandour]

I love my 'Washington Parish Free Fair Cookbook' which I acquired at the Fair, which is held annually in Franklin, Louisiana!

Each recipe is a gem, easy to follow and cites ingredients that are easy to find (except maybe the crawfish! The dishes have turned out great every time I have made them!

The recipes are compiled by the 'women of the Parish' and are true home-cooking type recipes ranging from easy and tasty meatloaf to zesty chicken gumbo and crawfish bread on the Cajun side to those wonderful Southern classics like cornbread and pecan pie!

It even has little bits about the Parish's history, helpful cooking hints, tips on how to can vegetables, jellies and preserves, including how to make your own lye soap!

I recommend it to anyone (fi you can get a copy from the committee) - look up Washington Parish Fair on the web.

I also recommend for readers of French - the classic Jehane Benoit cookbook which has every imagineable recipe in it - a true cooking encyclopedia for beginners and experts - by the famous French Canadian cook!

Regards, Noha

[B. Dunne]

My favorite recipe book is "A Treasury of Newfoundland Dishes",which I received in 1971 as a gift.The book was compiled of a number of recipes chosen out of thousands sent in from all parts of Newfoundland and Labrador, and was put together by the Newfoundland Home Economics Association. As is said in the message from the association, the book "preserves the distinctive cooking art of our island." Its recipes are practical and rarely require ingredients not found in everyday kitchens. Many pages contain sayings unique to our province, and remember, if you try out one of the recipes, be sure to make "lashins".

[Marg Gorrie]

The cookbook I reach for to prepare a fast and tasty dinner is Donna Hay's Off the Shelf - Cooking From the Pantry. My sister-in-law gave this to me for Christmas last year and several of it's fine photos are now splattered with lemon zest, capers and other bits of the ingredients she often calls for!

[Lynn Weaver]

My favorite cookbook is The New and Complete Encyclopedia of Cooking by Madame Benoit, published in 1972. My mother had the great fortune to win this book at a bonspiel and has finally passed it onto me. I, like many of your listeners with a passion for good food and entertaining, also collect recipes, food magazines, and cookbooks. However it is this library of Canadian Cooking that I refer to time and time again. It offers a complete, practicle guide to Canadian Cuisine from Fiddleheads to perfectly Roasted Beef with all of the trimmings. The recipes are simple and easy to follow. The ingredients also can readily be found at any Canadian grocery store. Canadian cuisine is seldomly recoginzed and very often overlooked. That is why this comprehensive cookbook is invaluable to me.

[Janet Curran (Ontario)]

What a wonderful forum! Thank-you. Like many before me, I am torn between functionality (Nellie Lyle Pattinson's Canadian Cookbook - updated from the 1923 edition), and aesthetics (Boxer & Traeger's A Visual Feast: The Year in Food). The former is a well-worn favourite given to me by my mom; the latter, a gift of beauty from a friend whose wedding I helped with. You choose!

[Erica Fava]

My favorite cookbook is Ultimate Bread by Eric Treuille and Ursula Ferrigno. The recipes work, the pictures are beautiful, and a bit of background is given on each bread. They also describe with words and photos some of the basic bread techniques. There are a wide range of breads... from the everyday to the festive ones. The only thing missing is the wonderful aroma and taste of these breads!

[Suzanne Lavigne-Schmidt]

Bonjour Don,

Thank you for your wonderfully informative segments and your website...

Now about this contest...

Let me tell you...

At first, I was thrilled at the prospect of submitting an entry only to be quickly disheartened when I had to go through the selection process.

A lifetime of collecting receipes...from my family...to...friends...to...all those
incredible cookbook authors and magazine writers...who should I pick to be my favourite without seeming like a traitor?

So I asked myself some questions...
Which book addresses my current lifestyle?
Is quick and simple yet passionate about food?
Has made the greatest impact on me over the last ten years?...the answer became very clear...

HOW TO EAT The Pleasures and Principles of Good Food by Nigella Lawson

Ms. Lawson's no-nonsense writing style is reminiscent of Katherine Hepburn (re: her
brownie receipe from the Ladies'Home Journal
many moons ago...an outstanding receipe). Everything about this book is practical...the differently colored sections, the highlighted ingredients, those little details that count when you are in a rush...and then there are the very very practical things you do not expect...

One night, in an effort to impress upon my husband how terrific her writing style is, I had him read the segment on chicken (p.183-184) before we went to bed...m-m-m... The next day, I found him reading the cookbook as though it was a novel. Grandmaman could never have come close to having that kind of impact.

Enjoy!

Suzanne from Montréal

[Lucie Girard]

Dear Don,

I hardly remembered how wonderful and exciting life at Home (and All Day Radio listening) could be... I am taking a six months Sabatical during which I intend to brush up on my long set aside cooking skills, relax and feel creative again. I have heard you a couple of times alreay and look forward to new "Episodes" Until then, I understand you want to know our best kept secret receipes. Well... as much as I like to explore and try new receipes, my all time "quicky" and sure bet for basics is Five Roses Guide to good cooking (mine is a battered, food-splattered twenty-fifth edition. Nothing fancy but always handy when you run out of ideas and supplies. Only basics required!!!

Hoping to win! Warm regards,

Lucie, Québec City

[Drew Duncan]

Dear Don,

The name of my favourite coodbook is "Fresh," by
Michele Cranston. Each recipe has its own high-quality colour photo. And the book is divided into seasons, which helps me find the right kind of recipe whenever I grab it--year-round. It also boasts unique cobinations, such as pear and cardamom tart, and lemaon lamb.

Keep up the good work on the show!

Yours, Drew

[Diane Cathro]

I cherish all my cookbooks, especially my collection of Anne Lindsay's, but my favouite is The Working Wives'
(Salaried or Otherwise)
Cook Book by Theodora Zavin and Freda Stuart.
My brother gave it to me when I first got married in 1968. All the recipes are 'make ahead'. It has a great 'Cooking for Company' chapter which saw me through my early adventures into entertaining, inspite of the time I left the Boeuf Bourguignon baking in the oven all night. I persuaded my boss to give me the next afternoon off so I could start again!Many of the recipes are old fashioned but I have been able to adapt them using more health conscious techniques.
I'd love to win. One can never have too many cookbooks.
Bon Appetit! Diane Cathro, Victoria,
British Columbia

[Vicki Webster]

I have lots of beloved cookbooks, but having a sweet tooth, I think I would have to say my favourite is The Good Cookie. I have made many, many recipes from this book, and they have all been terrific.

[Penny Hannah]

Dec 19,2003
Dear Don,

The first cookbook I ever got was "The Joy of Cooking". In 1977, my husband and I had just gotten married and his Aunt Joan gave me The Joy of Cooking, informing me that all young brides should have a copy of this book. As it turns out, she was quite right. This book has been a gold mined of information, from the history of the food, how to measure, what to substitute, and how to cook from the basic to the gourmet.I have spent many hours reading it from cover to cover. I have passed on many useful tips to my son, like how to make perfect muffins, how to get fluffy light pancakes and how to make awesome Florentines.26 years later the well worn food stained copy sits nuzzled against newer, more modern cookbooks. But I still returnto it, its like visiting an old dear friend.

Love your show. Merry Christmas from Penny Hannah

[Grant Taylor]

Hi, Don. My favourite cookbook is the Joy of Cooking. It was given to me many years ago when I was a bachelor and really didn't know how to cook (I still don't - but that's another story) Anyway, my good friend gave the book to me with the following inscription: "Here's to weiners wellington and jello cordon bleu". I have used and treasured the book for years. I like it because it is basic and prepares one for the plethora of books which follow.... (especially $250.00 worth of cookbooks which would make a lovely Christmas present). Happy Holidays to you and all your listeners - Rick Cluff too.

[Sandra Cull]

I have been using the same cookbook for thirity seven years.A Guide to Good Cooking has been a dependable receipe book for everyday and special celebrations.I always estimate the worth of a cookbook by the number of receipes you actually use and my copy of a Guide to Good Cooking has splatters on every Page.This book contains many traditional receipes that have stood the test of time and still seem to fit into modern day cuisine

[Scott Benjamin]

Richmond, Ontario listener.

Geetings,
my favourite cookbook, by far, is "Food That Really Schmecks" by Edna Staebler. This Mennonite cookbook is chock full of COMFORT FOODS. The recipes are easy to prepare and contain basic ingredients that I often have in the house. I would have to say that 90% of the recipies I have tried have turned out very well. You must be careful, however, not to prepare too many items from this book because too many comfort foods can easily make the waistline grow.

Warmest regards,
Scott

[Patricia Sullivan]

My favorite cookbook is "Cooking Favorites of Minto" (circa late 50's early 60's) of the Catholic Womens League,Minto New Brunswick. It is my favorite because it contains the only original recipe of my mother's Do-Nuts for which she was famous. My 9 siblings(8 brothers 1 sister) and I were not allowed in the kitchen when she would make 6-8 dozen at a time. Only when we were old enough to take our turn in sugaring the cooling Do-Nuts did we get to be involved in the process. After visits home we each left with hugs and kisses and a bag of do-nuts (some of the boys with 2 bags,1plain and one sugared.Such great memories never to be forgotten.
Patricia Sullivan
Athens,Ontario

[Willadeane Sweeting]

Hello Don, As I glance over my extensive library of cookbooks, my eyes are drawn to the cookbook that was left to me by my Grandmother. As I do use many of my other cookbooks but my heart is in this cookbook. I recognize her hand writing and memories come flowing out. To keep with the season I am currently making her shortbread. As I smell the butter I remember milking cows with her. We would then later in the day churn the butter to make the cookies, oh what anticipation for a little girl. Memories are what I have when I open this cookbook. Merry Christmas

[Jeannie Collingwood]

Don -wow, it's very hard to chose my favourite cookbook - I take recipes from all my books that I've collected over the years. I guess living in the North, one of my favs is the Blueberries and Polar Bears series. I first heard about these gals (Helen Webber & Marie Woolsey) from Churchill, Man on CBC. Now I own all four of their books - easy, fail-proof, great for hearty home-cooking for large groups. Game meat can be substituted for any type of meat.

[Jim McKever]

To me, a favorite cookbook should be like wire fencing, tying the fence posts of life’s moments and memories together, so that it creates the opportunity for you to revisit these times every time it is opened. I love to cook. I’m not that good at it, but I try, and I enjoy doing it. My favourite cookbook is one entitled “The All-Star Country Cookbook”. I purchased it from a sale bin in a grocery store several years ago, when I was a single parent with three boys at home. At the time, the boys were all in school and I was struggling with my home business. Needless to say, I looked for recipes that were simple and easy to make, nutritious yet able to satisfy the hunger pangs of growing boys. This cookbook is full of recipes that fit that description. Just before I found this cookbook, I started dating a single mother who liked country music. I never really cared for country music, but after we started dating and watching CMT together, I became a fan. The recipes in this cookbook are from country music entertainers, and each section contains a short, unpretentious bio about that entertainer. So there are two reasons why this is my favourite cookbook, but there is one more. Like most people my culinary likes and dislikes can be traced most times to my Mother’s cooking. Mom made some scrumptious dishes that I have tried to emulate without success. However, there was one dish she made that I could not develop a taste for - meatloaf. The first recipe in this cookbook is one entitled “pinwheel cheese meatloaf”. One day, while trying to find a different, yet quick meal for my three sons, I tried this recipe. Not only was it a hit, it restored my interest in meatloaf. I can’t tell you why I did not like my Mother’s meatloaf; perhaps it was her combination of ingredients. The recipe in this cookbook changed all that. So “The All-Star Country Cookbook” is my favourite for the simple, yet wholesome and nutritious dishes; the country music entertainer bios; and for restoring my liking for meatloaf. It allows me to visit these memories and moments on a regular basis.

[Tim Baker]

I reside in Quebec. For the last 10 years my favourite cookbook has been Paul Prudhomme's Cajun Cooking. It is a small softcover and it blatently promotes his own 'Magic Spices'. However the book has great recipes. They are an adventure in hot foods, but never too hot, just risque. I bought the book for my wife during a trip to New Orleans. The reason I originally bought the book is the pictures of life in rural louisiana in the 40's and 50's. Great recipes and excellent history. Tim Baker

[Simon Garber]

My favourite cookbook, bar none, is called "Second Helpings, Please!" published by B'Nai B'Rith Women, Montreal (1968). My mom gave copies of it to all her kids and grandkids, but I got the prize (I must be her favourite). She gave me her own copy - the copy with her annotations. Comments like "excellent" or "very good" are recommendations that shouldn't be taken lightly. Hidden in the pages of this book is what I thought was her own cheese blintz recipe (the best you'll find anywhere), and kneidelach to die for. And holiday treats for every Jewish holiday - the chopped liver recipe is marked "excellent" - mmmm... She would cross out ingredients and change quantities to suit her taste. She noted when a recipe can be safely doubled. She often reduced the amount of sugar in a recipe, but it is clear from her notes that she is a chocoholic.
Without a doubt, the best Jewish cook book on the planet.

[Hilary McLaughlin]

Some volumes in my large collection of cookbooks are more for reading than for practical use.
My father, knowing my affection for mystery stories as well as cookery, once bought me The
Lord Peter Wimsey Cookbook, which is a great little tome (with some workable recipes) but it is
one I am more likely to haul out if I have just watched a Wimsey video and feel like “going
Piccadilly!).

Similarly, Five Hundred Years of English Cooking is a glorious social history, but while the
recipes are adapted for contemporary use, there are usually easier versions in some of my other,
less-carefully-stored, books (the ones with the spatter stains and the steam-creased pages bent
back to favourite recipes).

I have many cookbooks that, after much perusal, have yielded up only one or two recipes I like to
make – but they are too good and too useful to make me give up the book. Others are as
appealing just for the quality of the writing and the asides as for the useful, and usable, blueprints
for a good dish (Claudia Roden’s Middle East Cookbook tends to operate in this category for
me), or for excellent illustrations that show me what I’m aiming to produce.

Out of my massive archive, how to elect a champion? It is necessarily one that meets several
requirements: it is clearly-written, it is well-illustrated, with a picture of every dish, it explains
fiddly techniques (like how to peel chestnuts), and it makes me want to cook my way through it,
from page one to the end. A bonus is if the recipes are easily adaptable, in the event that one or
two ingredients may not be to hand or I don’t especially like something.

I have a few of these, but the very best, a much-used, much-loved volume that has given me one
good meal after another, comes from a surprising source, (though I found it on a remainder table
and have never seen another; ALL my friends would love a copy). It is Fresh Ways With
Vegetarian Dishes, by The Editors of Time-Life Books. I eat all sorts of food, but I love
vegetarian dishes, especially imaginative and delicious offerings like these: Lentil Soufflés baked
in Sweet Pepper Cases; Gingered Black Beans with Saffron Rice; Chestnut-Stuffed Sweet
Potatoes with Chili Sauce.

The greatest thing about this book? No matter what’s in the house, if I haven’t done a major
shop recently, this book will have a way to take those random items and turn them into a real
meal. And it passes the ultimate test: I can do a meal from here for friends who generally do not
think they have been fed until they strike meat, and have them rising from the table without
realising they never did!

[Lana Charlton]

My favorite cookbook : JELL-O fun and fabulous recipes. I find the kids love the recipes/ easy to find ingredients.
Lana