The Good

Founding member, Anita Stewart, has been awarded the Order of Canada “for her contributions as a journalist, author and culinary activist and for her promotion of the food industry in Canada.” Over the years, two of Stewart’s cookbooks — The Flavours of Canada and Anita Stewart’s Canada — won Gold at the Canadian Culinary Book Awards.

Rose Murray’s A Taste of Canada has been chosen as Brant County’s “One Book One Brant” title. Every year the County of Brant Public Library selects one book to help promote a love of reading in adults, share local stories and culture, and create a community-wide reading experience. A Taste of Canada received an honourable mention at the 2009 Canadian Culinary Book Awards.

The Badly Needed

After three years, Cuisine Canada Scene is going offline. But don’t despair, this makes room for …

The Tasty

Taste Canada—The Food Writing Awards now has its own website. All news about the 2012 awards will be posted there. Drop by and subscribe via RSS or email. Be the first to hear about calls for entry, shortlisted nominations, and who wins Gold.

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the members who contributed to Cuisine Canada Scene, all the readers who followed us, and to Cuisine Canada for bringing together such a diverse and dedicated group of people.

This isn’t good-bye. It’s just a new beginning…

Short-listed: Cookbook Category

The Harrow Fair Cookbook: Prize-Winning Recipes Inspired by Canada’s Favourite Country Fair
Written by Moira Sanders, Lori Elstone, and Beth Goslin Maloney
Published by Whitecap Books, North Vancouver

Since 1854, the Harrow Fair has been attracting visitors from near and far to one of the most southern towns in all of Canada. Now, with The Harrow Fair Cookbook, everyone can enjoy the delicious traditions that make it one of the most authentic agricultural fairs in Canada. The recipes in this book reflect the author’s belief that when food is made from scratch, with wholesome, natural ingredients, it can’t help but be delicious. The Harrow Fair Cookbook will inspire you to cook with what’s local and seasonally available, as well as getting a personal tour of what is arguably the richest agricultural area in Canada. The book is filled with the best recipes from prize-winners, as well as the author’s takes on many of the classics. 

Target Audience

“A cookbook for everyone!”

Judges’ Verdicts

• “Good layout, especially good location photos, nice stories and good information sections.”
• ” Bright photographs and clean presentation make this book a pleasure to use.”
• “The ingredients are widely available and for many are common choices.”
• “ An appealing combination of down-home and sophisticated recipes with easy-to-follow directions.”
• “Nice hearty recipes.”

Aha Canadian Moment

• “This book celebrates an element of our rural heritage that is quickly disappearing while blending it with our more urban present.”
• ”This excellent book epitomizes a truly Canadian choice of recipes.”
• “Beyond the recipes, it also celebrates the agricultural fall fair, a phenomenon which is for the most part disappearing.”

Must-Make Recipes

Summer Pea Soup (p. 93): Combining the winning combination of peas and mint, “this is a very easy soup which capitalizes on both the colour and flavour of fresh peas.”

Coleslaw (p. 106): Referring to this recipe that has been in the authors’ family for over 60 years, one judge commented that “this recipe will be a fixture in my house from now on.”

Short-listed: Cookbook Category

The Ocean Wise Cookbook: Seafood Recipes that Are Good for the Planet
Jane Mundy, ed.
Published by Whitecap Books, North Vancouver

Ocean Wise is a nation-wide conservation program designed to educate restaurants and consumers about the issues surrounding sustainable seafood. Created by the renowned Vancouver Aquarium, Ocean Wise has an affiliation with restaurants, markets, suppliers and food services, striving to ensure that everyone works together to make ocean-friendly buying choices in an environmentally conscious world. In The Ocean Wise Cookbook, freelance writer Jane Mundy compiles together some of the most popular recipes from chefs and restaurants from across Canada. Jane shows us that no matter what kind of seafood you need for a recipe, you can help sustain our oceans and the environment by making positive choices. Throughout her book, Jane illustrates which types of seafood are considered Ocean Wise, and great alternatives to eating species that have been over fished.  

Target Audience

The well-outfitted cook, as this book is “not for the average cook regarding either species or cooking equipment.”

Judges’ Verdicts

• “Comprehensive analysis of endangered species.”
•  “Workable chefs’ recipes.”
• “This is another book that has much more going for it than just the recipes. It guides the cook/reader through the murky waters of which fish and seafood varieties are ecologically sustainable.”
• “Nice layout, great photos.”
• “An impressive book.”

Room for Improvement

• “Because the book is largely west coast or central Canada-oriented, it is next to impossible to get the actual types of sustainable fish named in most of the book’s recipes on the East coast.”
• There are “a lot of fancy species that are hard to find.”

Aha Canadian Moment

The contributors are largely from British Columbia, with a sprinkling of offerings from several other Canadian provinces.

Must-Make Recipes 

Haddock and Winter Vegetable Casserole (p. 163): A one-pan dish meant for a wintry Sunday dinner. “The ingredients for this dish were easy to find and the directions were good with each step explained.  The cooking time was accurate.  The end result was a tasty, tender fish dish.”

Prosciutto and Rosemary-Wrapped Halibut with Truffled New Potatoes and Vegetable Confit (p. 165): A seasonal fish with seasonal vegetables, perfect for late summer. “The saltiness of the pork always works with fish; this did not disappoint.”

Short-listed: Cookbook Category

Quinoa 365: The Everyday Superfood
Written by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming
Published by Whitecap Books, North Vancouver

One of the world’s healthiest foods, quinoa contains a perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids, and is a great source of protein, making it an increasingly popular food choice for those looking to incorporate superfoods into their everyday diets. You can eat quinoa guiltlessly knowing it’s free of cholesterol and trans fats, contains natural antioxidants, and is a source of vitamin E, calcium, potassium, iron, and magnesium. In Quinoa 365 sisters Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming show you how to use this miraculous superfood in all your favorite dishes.  Soups, salads, entrées, and desserts all taste great with quinoa, thanks to Patricia and Carolyn’s easy-to-follow recipes.

Target Audience
Gluten-free, wheat-free, and nutrient-packed, quinoa is ideal for those who are health-conscious, vegetarian, or physically active, as well as for those with gluten intolerance, wheat allergies, and other digestive disorders. “This book will have great appeal to the growing number of “health conscious” cooks.”

Judges’ Verdicts

• “Appealing layout, nice photos, good-looking recipes.”
• “This book presents many tasty options; it is timely, too, as more people search for meat alternatives.”
• “This book is all about incorporating quinoa and the clear message is that you can add it to almost any recipe, old or new and not compromise taste.”
• “I especially like the user-friendly writing style that explains the ins and outs of quinoa very well.”
• “A tempting variety of recipes with easily available ingredients.”

Room for Improvement

• “The font size used is too small.”
• “The lack of nutritional information, which I would expect consumers to want.”

Must-Make Recipes

Light and Fluffy Eggs (p. 26): With or without accompaniments, this was “very easy and simple to prepare. They tasted very good just like scrambled eggs with a little something more that is not obvious if you don’t know what.”

Black Bean Quinoa Quesadillas (p. 41): This works as a complete meal, a side dish, or a finger food. It has a “nice final texture with the crispy shell and combination of black bean. I enjoyed it.”

Short-listed: Cookbook Category

Vij’s at Home: Relax, Honey
Written by Meeru Dhalwala and Vikram Vij
Published by Douglas & McIntyre, Vancouver

Delicious everyday Indian recipes from the authors of the multi-award-winning bestseller, Vij’s. Pull up a chair—Meeru and Vikram invite you to dinner. The owners of Vij’s and Rangoli restaurants in Vancouver have an all-new follow-up to Vij’s, the bestselling cookbook that has won numerous awards, including the Cordon d’Or Gold Ribbon International Cookbook Award. In Vij’s at Home: Relax, Honey, Meeru Dhalwala and Vikram Vij show you how to prepare the recipes they eat at home, from vegetarian dishes that go from stove to plate in less than 45 minutes to seafood, poultry and meat dishes that come together in 20 minutes then cook while you help the kids with their homework or sit down with a glass of wine.

Target Audience

Every kitchen—for first-time cooks to more experienced chefs, with “lots of choices for vegetarians.”

Judges’ Verdicts

• “A really good-looking book, fun to read, with very do-able recipes.”
• “Directions were absolutely correct.”
• “I really like the preamble to the recipes in this book – they make you feel genuinely able to substitute and play around to your own liking.”
• “Every recipe tested looked just like its picture and tasted great.”
• “A real winner of a book.”

Room for Improvement

• Some of the ingredients are not readily available in parts of the country where the Indian community is small.
• “The font size is also way too small for ease of reading.”

Must-Make Recipes

Curried Devilled Eggs (p. 70): “Easy to make, but incredibly bright on the tongue. A real winner.”

Vij’s Kitchen Staff’s Zucchini Soup (p. 81): This recipe comes from a very small cluster of villages in the Punjab and is a favourite among the kitchen staff.

Butter Chicken Schnitzel (p. 166): A family recipe created for the children, this is “fast, easy, perfect. Best butter chicken sauce ever for flavour and creaminess.”

Short-list: Cookbook Category

3 Chefs: The Kitchen Men
Written by Michael Bonacini, Massimo Capra, and Jason Parsons
Published by Whitecap Books, North Vancouver

Whether they’re in the kitchen, at the table, or on TV Michael Bonacini, Massimo Capra, and Jason Parsons are known for the excitement they bring to the art of cooking. Now, these three top chefs have come together to produce a cookbook that accurately reflects the sense of fun and adventure that makes them such a great team. In Three Chefs: The Kitchen Men Michael, Massimo and Jason have combined their best recipes to create a cornucopia of tasty meals. Complimented with anecdotes and stories of growing up and learning to cook, this personal collection of recipes will delight and entertain.

Target Audience: This book will appeal to those who love cooking 5-star meals at home.

Judges’ Verdicts

• “A fine book, super photos and layout, tempting and well-written recipes.”
• “Three well-known chefs give new twists to familiar recipes each providing charming intros to the recipes.”
• “Part of the charm of this book is the intros to the recipes written by whichever chef contributed it.”
• “A lively, approachable book with a catchy look and do-able chefs’ recipes.“
• “Nice mix of dishes, from restaurant to home-style.”

Room for Improvement

• “Some of them [the recipes] are very expensive to prepare.”
• Quantity error in at least one recipe.

Must-Make Recipes

Mulligatawny Soup (p. 50): A fairly traditional version of a recipe that originates from the Tamil people of southern India, the name signifying “peppery water.”

Maple-Glazed Ham, Spinach, and Cheese Croutons (p. 12): A lunchtime snack, a garnish for a salad or soup, or a base for a substantial sandwich, this versatile recipe is “both simple and addictive.”

White Beans All’Uccelletto (p. 232): Because Tuscan tradition says birds must be cooked with sage and because these beans are cooked with sage, they’re “’beans in the manner of birds.’” “A keeper. Easy to make. Good with any grilled foods. Nice flavour.”

Edna Staebler

The Edna Lifetime achievement Award is given every year to someone who has contributed to the promotion of regional cuisine and who exemplifies the region through his or her work. Last year’s winner was John Bishop of Vancouver, British Columbia.

Start thinking about a winner for 2011. Check out the information given on the Cuisine Canada website, then send your letters of nomination to:

The Edna Award
c/o Jennifer Brayshaw
McLaughlin Library, University of Guelph
50 Stone Road East
Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1

Details about the Nominations are due by August 15, 2011. No consideration will be given to any nominations received after that date.

Since the award’s very qualified judges live across the country, they may not know the nominee personally, so include as much information as possible in support of the nomination. If you have nominated someone who was not chosen in the past, please feel free to send another letter of nomination with any updated details.

The winner will be announced as part of the Canadian Culinary Book Awards, this year on Monday evening, November 7, at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto.

Thank you in anticipation of your support in making the country aware of this prestigious award.

Sincerely,
Rose Murray (Chair of the award)