English Special Interest

GOLD
Sarah Elton
Locavore: From Farmers’ Fields to Rooftop Gardens – How Canadians Are Changing the Way We Eat
HarperCollins Canada

Strawberries in January, fresh tomatoes year-round and New Zealand lamb at all times — these well-travelled foods have a carbon footprint the size of an SUV. But there is a burgeoning local food movement taking place in Canadian cities, farms and shops that is changing both the way we eat and the way we think about food. We learn how a group of New Brunswick farmers saved the family farm, why artisanal cheese in Quebec is so popular and how a century-old farm survives in urban British Columbia, bordered by the ocean on one side and by a new housing development on the other. We follow food culture activists as they work to preserve the genetic material of heritage plants to return once-endangered flavours to our tables.

SILVER
Sonia Day
Incredible Edibles: 43 Fun Things to Grow in the City
Firefly Books Ltd

Vegetable gardening is back! Concern about the environment and the desire to eat food unpolluted by chemicals, to buy local and to be thrifty are some of the reasons. Urbanites who have never grown a thing are now eager to try to cultivate vegetables, herbs and fruit in back and front yards, on rooftops and on balconies — in any suitable space they can find. Incredible Edibles is for anyone who’s thinking: “I’d love to try growing some herbs and vegetables. But is it too difficult? Do I have the space? Or the time?” Sonia Day focuses on edible plants that can be easily grown in a city setting, many of which are seldom featured in gardening books.

English Canadian Culinary Culture

GOLD
Jeff McCourt, Allan Williams & Austin Clement
Flavours of Prince Edward Island: A Culinary Journey 
Whitecap Books

Bring the taste of PEI home with you, with a stunning collection of recipes from PEI’s top chefs, enriched by photographs and stories from the island’s cooks, farmers and fishers and a foreword by Food Network star Michael Smith. From heading down to the wharf early to get your pick of the best lobsters, to taking an afternoon to forage for the elusive chanterelle, tasting the mouthwatering dish that’s the end result is the last in a long line of adventures the island has to offer.  Each chapter focuses on one of the Island’s delicacies, and tells the story of how signature ingredients make their way from the farm, field, or ocean to your plate. It includes profiles of chefs, fishers’ tips, and an incredible array of recipes from the island’s best-known chefs.

SILVER 
Michele Genest
The Boreal Gourmet: Adventures in Northern Cooking
Harbour Publishing

As much culinary adventure story as cookbook, The Boreal Gourmet combines a portrait of northern life with an exploration of wild or “country” foods in gourmet recipes for the home cook. These recipes are inspired by a diversity of countries, traditions and kitchens, and spring from a love affair with the indigenous foods that flourish in the boreal forests and river valleys of the Yukon. Whitehorse author and chef Michele Genest has recipes for every season supported with information on such northern plants asArtemisia frigida, or pasture sage, and its effect on the flavour of the wild Dall sheep that graze on it, the mysteries of morel mushrooms and tips on where to find them, and advice from Dawson City’s Uncle Berwyn on the proper use of birch syrup.

English Language Cookbooks Award

 GOLD
Michael Bonacini, Massimo Capra, & Jason Parsons
3 Chefs: The Kitchen Men
Whitecap Books & Madison Press Books

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.

 SILVER
Meeru Dhalwala & Vikram Vij
Vij’s at Home: Relax, Honey
Douglas & McIntyre

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.

SILVER
Moira Sanders, Lori Elstone, & Beth Goslin Maloney
Harrow Fair Cookbook: Prize-Winning Recipes Inspired by Canada’s Favourite Country Fair
Whitecap Books

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.

French Special Interest Award

GOLD
Martin Thibault & David Lévesque Gendron: La route des grands crus de la bière
Québec Amérique.

La route des grands crus brassicoles du Québec et de la Nouvelle-Angleterre arpente le nord-est de l’Amérique à la découverte des meilleures bières offertes par les artisans-brasseurs. Véritable compagnon tant pour le néophyte que pour l’amateur chevronné, ce livre propose de nombreux itinéraires pour apprécier la bière tout en voyageant, après avoir muni le lecteur des connaissances nécessaires pour profiter pleinement de ses dégustations. Toutes les brasseries du territoire sont présentées, et leurs meilleures offrandes sont décrites par le détail. Des accords mets et bières ajoutent au plaisir de la découverte, et les auteurs ont pris soin de recenser les lieux de vente de ces produits rares. Enfin, les photos d’Olivier Germain donnent envie de se lancer à la quête de ces grands crus et de leurs créateurs.

SILVER
François Chartier
La Sélection Chartier 2011: Guide des vins et d’harmonisation avec les mets
Les Éditions La Presse.

French Canadian Culinary Culture Award

GOLD
Marie-Christine Rhéaume, Olivier Clément & Dominique Rhéaume
Le livre gourmand des Iles de la Madeleine: Découvertes du terroir et recettes originales
Les Éditions La Morue Verte.

Livre de recettes et photoreportage qui donne accès aux secrets du terroir madelinot, renommé pour ses produits d’exception et ses producteurs passionnés.Véritable pèlerinage gourmand, cet ouvrage rend  hommage au savoir-faire de ces artisans et à la qualité de leurs produits. Dans les cuisines des chefs Olivier Clément et Marie-Christine Rhéaume on découvre un mariage unique et contemporain des saveurs de la mer et de la terre. Le livre gourmand des Îles vous emmène également chez 22 producteurs, chasseurs et cueilleurs, qui ont ouvert leurs portes aux deux chefs… et à la photographe Emmanuelle Roberge

SILVER
Marylène Leblanc-Langlois & Lynne Faubert
À la bonne franquette: 80 Chefs dévoilent leurs recettes simples de tous les jours
Les Éditions Transcontinental

Que cuisine un grand chef à la maison?  Délaissant la toque et les prouesses culinaires, nos 80 chefs-vedettes vous révèlent les recettes toutes simples qui font leur succès auprès de leurs proches: leurs spécialités familiales, les plats dont raffolent les tout petits, leurs coups de cœur pour la boîte à lunch, leurs plats dépanneurs pour la visite qui arrive à l’improviste, les soupers romantiques qu’ils concoctent pour leur douce moitié. L’ingrédient commun à tous ces petits bonheurs? La simplicité!

French Language Cookbooks Award

GOLD
Philippe Laloux
Le bonheur de cuire
Québec Amérique

Réunissant les 120 meilleures recettes de Philippe Laloux, ce livre magnifique met à la portée de tous une cuisine d’auteur simple et vraie. Pas de raccourcis, pas d’artifices. Un incontournable pour les cuisiniers amateurs et les gastronomes qui prennent le temps de penser à ce qu’ils mangent et veulent faire une fête de chaque bouchée de vie.

Au-delà du fourneau, Le bonheur de cuire aura une vie au salon et sur la table de chevet, car il est à lire et à regarder, puisqu’il raconte et montre plusieurs routes parcourues par ce véritable artiste, ce cuisinier rêveur qui a toujours en tête la beauté du monde et la joie de le nourrir.

SILVER
Chuck Hughes
Garde-Manger
Les Éditions La Presse

La cuisine, c’est le terrain de jeu de Chuck, il revisite les classiques et provoque des rencontres gastronomiques inusitées, au plus grand bonheur de ses clients. Homard du général Tao, Crabe à la jerk, Poisson rôti au jus de veau, Oursins et oeuf poché, les recettes du Garde-Manger sont parfois étonnantes, mais toujours inspirées. Dans les cuisines de Chuck Hughes, les grands classiques comme la bavette, le tartare de saumon et la salade verte ne sont jamais ennuyeux. Ils ont une petite touche de Chuck!

Canadian Culinary Landmarks Hall of Fame

Jehane Benoit (born, Jehane Patenaude, Mar. 21, 1904, died Nov. 24, 1987)
Jehane Benoit’s Encyclopédie de la cuisine Canadienne, a catalogue of French Canadian cooking, sold over 1.5 million copies and continues to be a sought after resource. A food writer of 30 cookbooks, Madame Benoit was a consummate culinary historian, a TV and radio star, and founded one of Quebec’s first French/English culinary schools, Fumet de la Vieille France.

Marie Nightingale
Marie Nightingale has dedicated her life to the culinary legacy of Atlantic Canada.  Still immensely popular, Out of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens, first published in 1970, sold more copies than any other cookbook published in Nova Scotia; the 40th anniversary edition is now in its second printing. Marie was food columnist for Halifax’s The Chronicle Herald and The Mail Star, wrote five other cookbooks relative to East Coast cooking, and was founding food editor for Saltscapes magazine.

Edna Staebler Award

Suzanne Bergeron joined her husband in the Press Commerce Group, purchased a magazine and book store in Montreal which she operated until 1997 before starting a wine sales agency representing Quebec producers only.  Since 1998 she has been president of Gestion Bergeron & Drouin.  Suzanne also started the Quebec Farmers Union (UPA) and managed le Marché de Chez Nous between 2003 and 2006.

Antoino Druin worked for over 25 years with McMurray publishing, Telemedia Publishing, Décormag, Hachette International and was co-founder of the Press Commerce group. After retiring in 1997, Antoino started a wine agency with Suzanne Bergeron. In 2000, Le Marché des saveurs du Québec was created.

Founders Award

In 1962 J. Charles Grieco joined his father, John Grieco at La Scala, one of the most influential restaurants in Toronto. For 35 years he was the owner/operator of this iconic dining establishment. As Chair and President of the Ontario Hostelry Institute (OHI), he has built that organization into a pillar of the restaurant industry. Charles also oversees the annual OHI Gala and has been instrumental in creating scholarships and honouring countless industry leaders.

Need help blowing your horn? As a networking organization for culinary professionals across the country, Cuisine Canada is exploring new and immediate ways to support our members. With quick, easy and accessible information in mind, we have two new features to help members promote themselves or learn about food events in your area.

Events Calendar

Colour-coded by region, our Events Calendar lists professional development activities and events that promote or feature Canadian food. Here you’ll find listings for:

• Trade shows
• Food and/or wine festivals
• Food or agricultural seminars
• Food or agricultural conferences
• Calls for papers

To add an event to the calendar, email Amy Proulx at chair@cuisinecanadascene.com.

Monthly Horn Blowing

Starting this month, we’ll promote our member’s individual achievements. Whether these events take place in Canada or outside our country’s borders, as long as you’re talking about Canada and food, we’d love for you to share. Tell us about your:

• Book tours / book launch dates
• Product launches (food or cooking related)
• Radio / TV appearances / Live cooking demonstrations
• Events you’re judging
• Public lectures
• Culinary lessons
• Awards or nominations
• Special events at your store or restaurant

Want to tell us about your activity? Just leave the pertinent details (including links to an appropriate website) in the comments section.  To reduce spam, these comments will be moderated, so it will take a little time for postings to appear.

Are you a member of Cuisine Canada and know someone worthy of claiming the 2010 title?  If so, check out the information on the Cuisine Canada website and send your letters of nomination to the University of Guelph by August 16, 2010.

While the nominator must be a member of Cuisine Canada, the nominee does not. Their contribution may be in any related field, which includes but is not limited to the following examples:

• Agriculture or viticulture
• Processing or the creation of a value-added product (any food product, including cheese)
• Winemaking, brewing or any other fermentation process
• Journalism/authorship/print media
• Hospitality/restaurant and foodservice/accommodation
• Research
• Broadcast media including radio, television and the internet
• Public relations/marketing
• Government/non-profit/other agencies

Be sure to include as much information as possible in your letter. If you previously nominated someone who didn’t win and want to nominate them again, you will need to write a new letter and include updated details.

Letters on nomination should be addressed to:

The Edna Award c/o Library Administration
Room 356, McLaughlin Library
University of Guelph
50 Stone Road East
Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1.

The winner will be announced as part of the Canadian Culinary Book Awards, this year on November 5^th at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto.

Long in the works, a national honour for the food sector has finally been awarded.  The Nation’s Table is the Governor General’s award for excellence in the food and culinary sector.  Founded by Jean-Daniel Lafond, the award intends to celebrate the leaders and innovators who best exemplify social values, innovation, and cultural impact that we honour in our Canadian food system.

The inaugural inductees range from restauranteurs, chefs, food processors, and scientists.  Of note, awardees include long-time Cuisine Canada supporter  and member Rob McLaughlin, as well as past Culinary Book Award winner John Bishop.

A committee nominated by the Governor General’s office selected the current group of nominees. Future nominations will be generated by the public.  Certainly many Cuisine Canada members, with their remarkable contributions to Canadian culinary culture will be nominated in the coming years. Whose name would you put forward?

Pat Crocker wins Best in The World at the Gourmand Awards in Paris for her book The Vegan Cook's Bible.

Cuisine Canada member Pat Crocker recently won a Gourmand World Cookbook Award in Paris, France. Her recent book, The Vegan Cook’s Bible (Robert Rose) took top honours as the Best Vegetarian Cookbook in the World.

For Crocker, this is  her second big Gourmand win. Her book, The Juicing Bible,  also won Best in the World in 2000.

Awarded the Gertrude Foster Award for Excellence in Herbal Literature from the Herb Society of America in 2009 and a Gold Medal from Books for Better Living, Crocker seems to know the recipe for success.

When asked how she felt about her recent honours, Crocker said, “To write a cookbook takes long hours alone in the kitchen and at the computer. Awards not only connect authors and readers, they feed the souls of writers. For me, this award isn’t just about The Vegan Cook’s Bible, it’s the result of years of writing for newspapers, magazines, and most recently, my blog as well as the cookbooks.”

Congratulations, Pat!

Some of Canada’s top food professionals, chosen as judges, spent the summer testing recipes and evaluating culinary books from more than 50 entered. The winners are:

Canadian Culinary Landmarks Hall of Fame

For the first time, in 2009, Cuisine Canada and The University of Guelph inaugurated a Hall of Fame award. The award is given to honour outstanding achievements in the field of culinary writing.

Culinary Landmarks: A Bibliography of Canadian Cookbooks, 1825–1949 by Elizabeth Driver (University of Toronto Press, Toronto)

Canadian Landmarks is a definitive history and bibliography of Canadian cookbooks from the beginning, when La Cuisinière bourgeoise was published in Quebec City in 1825, to the mid-twentieth century. Over the course of more than ten years Elizabeth Driver researched every cookbook published within the borders of present-day Canada, whether a locally authored text or a Canadian edition of a foreign work. Every type of recipe collection is included, from trade publisher’s bestsellers and advertising cookbooks to home economics textbooks and fundraisers from church women’s groups.

The entries for 2,276 individual titles are arranged chronologically by their province or territory of publication, revealing cooking and dining customs in each part of the country over 125 years. Full bibliographical descriptions of first and subsequent editions are augmented by author biographies and corporate histories of the food producers and kitchen-equipment manufacturers who often published the books. Driver’s excellent general introduction sets the evolution of the cookbook genre in Canada, while introductions to each province identify regional differences in developments and trends. Four indexes and a chronology of Canadian cookbook history provide other points of access to the wealth of material in this impressive reference work.

The Edna

Edna Staebler (1906-2006) was a Canadian icon and one of the first Canadian authors to extol the virtues of local (regional) food in her best-selling Schmecks cookbooks. Her portrayal of Old Order Mennonites and Waterloo County food lifted the region into a culinary destination in Canada. In 1996, Cuisine Canada inaugurated a lifetime achievement award (The Edna) given that year to Edna and thereafter to an individual who has contributed to the promotion of regional cuisine and who exemplifies the region through his or her work.

This year, Robert Arniel is the recipient of The Edna.

Mr. Arniel is recognized for his exceptional and long-standing contribution to regional cuisine in the field of restaurant and food service. He has lived and worked in St. John’s for the past 23 years. From 1985 to 1995, Bob worked as Sous Chef at the Hotel Newfoundland, Executive Chef at the Stel Battery, Chef Instructor at the Marine Institute, and Food Production Manager at the Health Care Corporation.

Among his many accomplishments, Chef Bob has been a competitor, coach of junior teams and judge of national culinary competitions, representing Atlantic Canada three times at the National Dairy Bureau Competition. In 1989 he was named Newfoundland Chef of the Year and in 2007 he was a member of a Team Canada chef expedition to Brussels for Fisheries Canada.

Throughout his career Bob Arniel’s philosophy has been to use local ingredients whenever possible and to promote them to the world. But most of all, teach people how to cook them with passion.

The Founders Award

Cuisine Canada’s Founders Award is given on occasion to those Canadians who have achieved a lifetime of service to the culinary community of Canada. They may be come from any field of culinary endeavour.

This year’s recipient of the Cuisine Canada Founder’s Award is Judy Creighton.

Every single week of the year she provides Canadian Press and the people of Canada with what she calls a “Food File.” It is a massive array of stories – a feature with images and recipes; a cookbook review; a timely, issue-focused food interest piece plus five feature recipes which include images, the caveat that one of these recipes must be vegetarian. This file is delivered on line to over 100 newspaper outlets from Yellowknife and Fort McMurray to St. John’s Newfoundland. The websites www.cbc.ca routinely picks up her work as does Associated Press.

From her Canadian Press platform, Judy has always focused on the Canadian food scene, whether it is an update on how the peach season is looking this year or why Canadian garlic is so hard to buy. She talks to the people who have worked to develop both distinct Canadian cuisine and Canadian-grown food. She knows farmers, fishers, cookbook writers and chefs from coast to coast. She covers the trends before they even are trends — Judy wrote about the eat-local food trend long before others did. And she does it with the discerning eye of a seasoned journalist whose beat just happens to be food.

English-Language Culinary Books

Canadian Food Culture Category:

books that best illustrate Canada’s rich culinary heritage and food culture

GOLD:
Anita Stewart’s Canada
by Anita Stewart (HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, Toronto)

Anita Stewart’s Canada draws upon the personal element of local and regional cooking. Each chapter describes the history of the theme ingredients, and every recipe carries a story and a tradition. This book is the culmination of years of work, with many wonderful personal stories from Canadian food producers, restaurateurs and home cooks.

SILVER:
Apples to Oysters: A Food Lover’s Tour of Canadian Farms
by Margaret Webb (Penguin Group Canada, Toronto)

On this passionate, cross-Canada odyssey, Margaret Webb introduces readers to 12 great farmers or, as she calls them, chefs of the soil and the sea, tractor-seat philosophers, poet biologists, thingamajig inventors, and zealous educators. Her stories of the challenges they face growing good food are inspiring, touching, gritty.

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Cookbook Category:

GOLD:
Small Plates for Sharing
Laurie Stempfle, Ed. (Company’s Coming Publishing Limited, Edmonton)

Small Plates for Sharing is a stylish collection of entertaining party food recipes. It offers everything needed for easy entertaining: menu suggestions, tips and tricks, how-to photos, and imaginative presentation ideas. In 2007, Company’s Coming commissioned Laurie Stempfle to research and develop the guidelines for a distinctly new cookbook series to be called Practical Gourmet, for which this is the first title.

SILVER:
The Complete Canadian Living Baking Book: The Essentials of Home Baking
by Elizabeth Baird (Transcontinental Books, Montreal)

The Complete Canadian Living Baking Book celebrates the pleasure of home baking and reflects the excellence of the magazine’s tested-till-perfect baking recipes. As Canadian Living’s food editor for more than 20 years, Elizabeth Baird is one of Canada’s foremost experts on Canadian cooking and foods.

Special Interest Food and Beverage Books:

Books about food; non-cookbooks

GOLD:
Beyond the Great Wall: Recipes and Travels in the Other China
by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid (Random House Canada, Toronto)

Beyond the urbanized China lies the high open spaces and sacred places of Tibet, the Silk Road oases of Xinjiang, the steppes of Inner Mongolia, and the terraced hills of Yunnan and Guizhou. Peoples living in these regions are culturally distinct, with their own culinary traditions. In Beyond the Great Wall, Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid bring home the flavours of this other China.

SILVER:
Bottomfeeder: How to Eat Ethically in a World of Vanishing Seafood
by Taras Grescoe (HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, Toronto)

Bottomfeeder is the first book to provide readers with a clear explanation of how to choose the best fish for our environment and our bodies. Taras Grescoe travels to the end of the seafood supply chain and back. He pulls up lobster traps in Nova Scotia and visits British Columbia’s salmon farms with a guerrilla ecologist. Grescoe discovers how out-of-control pollution, unregulated fishing practices and global warming are affecting the fish that end up on our plates.

French-Language Culinary Books

Canadian Food Culture Category:

Books that best illustrate Canada’s rich culinary heritage and food culture

GOLD:
Québec capitale gastronomique
by Anne L Desjardins (Les Éditions La Presse, Montréal)

This book is an attempt to reflect the immense collaboration between chefs and producers, which has allowed the region of the Capitale-Nationale to create a gastronomy that is at once distinct, original and close to its source. Anne Desjardins is a journalist specializing in food, gastronomy and wines.
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Cookbook Category:

GOLD:
Ricardo: parce qu’on a tous de la visite: cuisiner en toutes circonstances

by Ricardo (Les Éditions La Presse, Montréal)

This book is for occasions we all encounter in our everyday lives. Ricardo: parce qu’on a tous de la visite is available in English under the title Ricardo: meals for every occasion. It proposes humorous, inspiring recipes that are simple and flavourful. Ricardo has published three cookbooks, his magazine “Ricardo” is available in French and English, and we can watch his TV food shows on the Food Network and CBC in French.

SILVER:
Gibier à poil et à plume: découper, apprêter et cuisiner
by Jean-Paul Grappe (Les Éditions de l’Homme, Montréal)

This book not only proposes delicious and original ways to prepare game but also a lot of information and techniques that will help hunters maximize their catches. Jean-Paul Grappe has been a great chef of many well known establishments, owner of many great restaurants and a professor at the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec for 22 years.

Special Interest Food and Beverage Book Category:

Books about food; non-cookbooks

GOLD:
Les vins du nouveau monde, Volume 2,
by Jacques Orhon, (Les Éditions de l’Homme, Montréal)

In this second book dedicated to the wines of the New World, Jacques Orhon continues to explore the southern hemisphere by visiting the wineries of Latin America. Jacques Orhon is a wine professor, lecturer and expert in wine tasting.

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SILVER:
Répertoire des fromages du Québec, Édition augmentée
by Richard Bizier and Roch Nadeau (Les Éditions du Trécarré-Groupe Librex inc., Montréal)

This third edition is the reflection of the spectacular growth that is happening in Quebec regarding cheese making. It is a unique world phenomenon. Richard Bizier has been a food columnist since 1972 and Roch Nadeau is a stylist-photographer who specializes in artist and culinary pictures.

All winning titles have been deposited with the Culinary Collection at the University of Guelph.

Pat Crocker at the Herb Society of America Awards

The Herb Society of America honoured Pat Crocker who won the Gertrude B. Forester Award. This award goes to the author of a non-fiction book who not only demonstrated outstanding research skills but also inspired readers to “use and delight” in herbs. In response to her award, Crocker says, “Writing is solitary work. I write every day. I do it at all hours, in all seasons and always without really knowing who will read my words. This award is a bridge from the people I value most: my herbal, gardening and foodie peers. It links me to those who already know so much about the ‘helpful plants’. There will never be a thrill in my professional life to equal this.”

Sasha Chapman wins Silver

Meanwhile Sasha Chapman won Silver at the National Magazine Awards in the Columns category for her Toronto Life articles “The $250 Garnish”, “Allah Mode” and “Milk Bandits”. This is the third year running Chapman has been nominated and is her second silver.

Karl Wells wins the Sandy Sanderson Award

Food writer and restaurant reviewer, Karl Wells, won Canadian Culinary Federation’s prestigious Sandy Sanderson Award. This award recognizes outstanding contributions in promoting the profession of the chef and cook through print, visual or virtual media. Wells says, “Receiving this honour from the chefs of the Canadian Culinary Federation is a wonderful encouragement, because the CCF has great credibility. I’m very appreciative and will try my best to continue to produce work that’s worthy of the endorsement.”

Congratulations to all the winners.