15 books for the foodie on your list
If you've got a foodie on your holiday shopping list, check out this list of cookbooks, memoirs and books about food culture from Canada and beyond.
You can see the complete CBC Books gift guide here.
Joe Beef by Frédéric Morin, David McMillan & Meredith Erickson
Frédéric Morin and David McMillan are the chefs behind Montreal's famous Joe Beef restaurant. With writer Meredith Erickson, they've collected 150 recipes that will have you apocalypse-ready, including canned bread, deer beer belly and pickled pork butt.
The Scent of Pomegranates and Rose Water by Habeeb Salloum, Leila Salloum Elias and Muna Salloum
With his daughters Leila and Muna, food writer Habeeb Salloum records recipes from 18th and 19th century Syrian kitchens. The book includes dishes with staple ingredients like bulgur, lentil, chickpea and yogurt, alongside recipes that have never been published in English before.
The Measure of My Powers by Jackie Kai Ellis
In her memoir, The Measure of My Powers, baker Jackie Kai Ellis writes about her struggles with mental health and describes her journey to self-acceptance. The book also weaves in recipes that represent important moments in her life.
You and I Eat the Same edited by Chris Ying
Chris Ying, former editor-in-chief of the food magazine Lucky Peach, curates a collection of 18 essays and stories about the universality of enjoying good food. Together, the pieces cover a range of different foods, while also pointing out the cross-cultural bonds created by cooking.
Matty Matheson by Matty Matheson
Matty Matheson is known for his irreverent and boisterous television series Dead Set on Life, which takes the Toronto chef on culinary adventures across the country. Matty Matheson: A Cookbook collects memories and recipes from his life, including East Coast classics like Rappie Pie and the Toronto P&L burger.
Cravings: Hungry for More by Chrissy Teigen
After her first bestselling cookbook, American model Chrissy Teigen has released a second book titled Cravings: Hungry for More. The book includes foods made famous on her Instagram and Twitter accounts, like break-the-internet banana bread and Pad Thai Carbonara.
Coco Cake Land by Lyndsay Sung
Vancouver-based baker Lyndsay Sung has made a name for herself on the internet with her colourful and cutesy cake decorating skills. Coco Cake Land features instructions on how to create pink cats, pandas and foxes, alongside basic recipes for cakes and frostings.
Best Before by Nicola Temple
Best Before looks at the science, business and culture of processed food and challenges readers to ask themselves if we've gone too far. Nicola Temple is a science writer who has published stories in magazines like The Walrus and Cosmos.
Atelier by Marc Lepine
Ottawa chef Marc Lepine is known for his innovative approach to cooking, often employing things like liquid nitrogen and food printers in his work. Atelier is Lepine's first cookbook and covers 48 unique dishes.
For the Love of Cheese by Afrim Pristine
Toronto maître fromager Afrim Pristine offers a comprehensive look at the world of cheese in his first book. In addition to 60 recipes, Pristine covers the best ways to buy and store cheese and how to create "the cheese board of your dreams."
Buttermilk Graffiti by Edward Lee
Edward Lee criss-crosses the U.S. to discover the melting pot of American cuisine. From Massachusetts to New York to New Orleans and beyond, Lee seeks out stories that demonstrate how a country of immigrants and clashing cultures has resulted in unique and exciting new dishes and flavours.
The Last Schmaltz by Anthony Rose
As the chef and co-owner of popular restaurants like Fat Pasha, Schmaltz Appetizing and Rose and Sons, Anthony Rose has been dubbed Toronto's "King of Comfort Food." The Last Schmaltz, written with food critic Chris Johns, is his first book — a mixture of recipes (including his famous All-Day Breakfast and Whole Roasted Cauliflower) and vibrant memories of cooking for Toronto foodies.
A Matter of Taste by Rebecca Tucker
Toronto writer Rebecca Tucker delves into the research of organic and sustainable food production in A Matter of Taste. She also looks into the moral coding around shopping in places like farmer's markets and Whole Foods.
Solo by Anita Lo
Anita Lo offers 101 recipes for cooking for yourself. The book draws from Lo's childhood and experiences cooking around the world, with recipes like steamed seabass with shiitakes, chicken pho and peanut butter chocolate pie.
Ship to Shore by John Bil
John Bil, who died in January of 2018, was a mainstay on the Toronto foodie scene, known for his seafood restaurant Honest Weight. Ship to Shore, published posthumously, offers Bil's wealth of knowledge from working in the east coast fishing industry and experiences preparing seafood in Toronto.