Mr. Smith on February 2nd, 2010

I am a four-season child.
By that I mean I have to live somewhere that has four distinct seasons. I can appreciate the allure of a place that is sunny and warm all year long, perhaps I might even visit said place for some rest or relaxation, but to live there permanently?
Don’t think so.
Spring is pretty. [...]

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Mr. Smith on January 21st, 2010

Ever since the announcement in October 2009 that Gourmet magazine would cease publication, I’ve read countless tributes to the magazine and to the people who contributed to making it a favourite for those who love food and wine.
I don’t know how many times I read the word impeccable in those tributes. Ruth Reichl … impeccable. [...]

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Mr. Smith on December 30th, 2009

What is it about this time of year that makes us look back and wonder?
What was the most important event of the year? Best song of the year? Favourite movie? Biggest discovery? It goes and on. In the days before the new year makes itself known, it seems we spend endless time evaluating the year [...]

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Mr. Smith on December 12th, 2009

And on the twelfth day of the 12 Days of Cookbooks, I give you The Happy Baker by Erin Bolger.
One of my frequent lunch-time treats during the workday is to walk up to Yonge and Yorkville and stop in at The Cookbook Store, Toronto’s best store.
Admittedly, I try not to do this too often as [...]

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Mr. Smith on December 11th, 2009

And on the eleventh day of the 12 Days of Cookbooks, I give you Mad Hungry by Lucinda Scala Quinn.
I first “encountered” Lucinda Scala Quinn on the show Everyday Food. I would catch an episode every now and then and was always impressed by her straightforward, pleasing dishes.
When I found out that she’d written a [...]

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Mr. Smith on December 10th, 2009

And on the tenth day of the 12 Days of Cookbooks I give you Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen by Gina DePalma.
While it was published in 2007 and while I’ve owned it since it was published, I really only started to focus on this book during this past year. My birthday cake was [...]

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Mr. Smith on December 9th, 2009

And on the ninth day of the 12 Days of Cookbooks, I give you A Year in Lucy’s Kitchen by Lucy Waverman.
I’m not sure how well Lucy Waverman is known outside of Canada (hopefully very well). She’s a very well-respected food writer and cookbook author.
Her most recent book is yet another winner. In Canada, [...]

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Mr. Smith on December 8th, 2009

And on the eigth day of the 12 Days of Cookbooks I give you Domenica Marchetti’s Big Night In: More Than 100 Wonderful Recipes for Feeding Family and Friends Italian-Style.
Domenica Marchetti is a cookbook author of Italian background who has very quickly become one of my favourites. I also own her book The Glorious Soups [...]

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Mr. Smith on December 7th, 2009

And on the seventh day of the 12 Days of Cookbooks I give you Carole Bloom’sBite-Size Desserts: Creating Mini Sweet Treats, from Cupcakes and Cobblers to Custards and Cookies.
Carole Bloom is yet another brilliant pastry chef and cookbook author who I am lucky enough to “know” through her books. I own several of them including [...]

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Mr. Smith on December 6th, 2009

And on the sixth day of the 12 Days of Cookbooks, I give you Mario Batali’s Holiday Food.
Published in 2000, this book has been around for almost ten years but I only discovered it earlier this year while perusing some titles on-line. I immediately snapped it up and haven’t been disappointed.
Besides being the perfect size [...]

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