Neverending Cookbooks...

A few weeks ago, I did an episode of Assis Toi that featured author Lindsay Cameron Wilson talking about cookbooks. It appears that episode may have struck a chord with people, as Lindsay and I were invited to be on Maritime Noon, CBC Radio's noontime call-in show for Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. The subject: your favorite cookbook. 

It was great to hear people tell their stories of their favourite cookbooks: how they came to be in their possession, what they have cooked from them, and so much more. What struck me the most was how many people brought up the Purity Cookbook, a simple, homey book that started out as a promotional item that - at least according to the callers - shaped their kitchens in more ways than one. Many thanks to Jonna Brewer and Polly Leger for inviting me to to come onto the show. 

You can stream the episode here, or download it here. The discussion starts at the 11:35 mark. 

Through the aisles and into the kitchen

I'm always fascinated by the books that line people's shelves. But the ones I find the most interesting are their cookbooks.  I keep my cookbooks in plain view in my kitchen, so if I am standing at the counter, or looking into the refrigerator, I only have to cast my eyes slightly to the left for a little inspiration.

I learned to cook through cookbooks. Correction: I learned to cook through cookbooks I borrowed from my local library.  For the latest episode of Assis Toi, I tracked down the person responsible for many of the current selections that line many a shelf in the various libraries of Halifax, Kristina Parlee from Halifax Public Libraries.  Kristina is a food lover, and she and I have often suggested places to eat - and books to read - to each other. I also met up with Lindsay Cameron Wilson, a Halifax-based cookbook author, TV show host, recipe developper, mother, and much more. Lindsay also used to live in London, and for a time worked at the famous Books For Cooks store in Notting Hill.

Although searching for recipes online can be easy and fun, the act of opening a cookbook, or perusing the cookbook section of a library is far more satisfying for a hungry reader. In the latest episode of "Assis Toi", I meet with three people who use the public library, and the cookbooks contained therein, as their own personal search engine. And they find more than just recipes and information. Assis Toi" is a radio series that airs on Information Morning and Island Morning on CBC Radio in the Maritimes. It tells stories about the kinds of relationships that people have with food. For more info on "Assis Toi" and its producer, Simon Thibault, check out: Http://simonthibault.com

In case you missed it when it was on the air this morning on your local CBC Radio station here in the Maritimes, you can stream it here, or download the podcast here. And don't forget to check out this week's episode of Have A Seat - where Kristina, Lindsay, and I continue our chat about all things culinary AND literary.

"Have A Seat" is a collection of previously unaired audio from interviews that air on CBC Radio's "Assis Toi". The series looks at people's relationships with food. In this episode, we go looking at the impact that cookbooks have had in the lives of food lovers. I speak with Lindsay Cameron Wilson - host of "Love Food", cookbook author, and recipe developper - on how books about food have changed her life. I also have a chat with Kristina Parlee, who is the person who selects all of the cookbooks which line the shelves of the various libraries throughout Halifax's public library system. To find out more about Lindsay Cameron Wilson, check out her website at: http://lindsaycameronwilson.ca For more on Simon Thibault, check out: http://simonthibault.com http://twitter.com/simonathibault

For those of you who were wondering about those titles mentioned in this week's episodes of Assis Toi and Have A Seat, here are some of the cookbooks - and their authors -  mentioned by Kristina, Lindsay, and myself. 

Hot Sour Salty Sweet, by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. This is THE book that started it all for me as a writer, as a home cook, and as a lover of food writing. 

In Have A Seat, Kristina and I talked a little bit about japanese cookery, and she mentioned Japanese Farm Food, which looks wonderful. I mentioned that she should check out Kansha and Washoku, by Elizabeth Andoh. I even did a piece for Assis Toi last year about Washoku, with the help of Ami Goto. 

Kristina mentioned that she came to understand indian cooking techniques thanks to Madhur Jaffrey. Jeffrey is essentially THE person to talk to if you want to learn about the intricacies of indian cookery.  She also suggests checking out some of the titles put out by America's Test Kitchen, and is also a big fan of The Flavour Bible. As for restaurant cookbooks, she was also instrumental in making sure that there are copies of Andy Ricker's Pok Pok cookbook. And for those of you who can't afford to buy a copy, you can always borrow the Noma cookbook. 

As for Lindsay Cameron Wilson, you can check out her cookbooks on her website. Wilson is also a fan of Skye Gingell's A Year In My Kitchen (a book that I also enjoy), but most importantly, she talks about Family Life by Elisabeth Luard.

Happy listening, reading, and cooking.