An event celebrating the exceptional talents of women who have excelled as culinary professionals in the hospitality industry…

The Vancouver Club, in partnership with Barbara Jo and Barbara Jo’s Books to Cooks, have invited Guest Chefs from across Canada, cookbook authors and up-and-coming culinary stars to prepare a 7 course menu with wine pairings for your enjoyment. Special guests include the Food Network’s Laura Calder, author of ‘French Food at Home’; Jennifer McLagan author of award winning cookbooks ‘Fat’ ‘and Bones’; Jennifer Dodd, Excutive Chef at Edible Canada on Granville Island; Food Network Host Bal Arneson, author ‘Everyday Indian’; Andrea Carlson of Bishops Restaurant; the Vancouver Club’s own fabulous Pastry Chef, Lisa Perkins. Sommeliers DJ Kearney and Martha McAvity will select the wine pairings for this amazing one-of-a kind dinner.

Reception 6 p.m.
Dinner 6:30 p.m.
Dress: Smart Casual
$110. per person

Please note that due to the special nature of this event we are unable to accommodate special dietary requests or preferences

Monday, May 9, 6:30 p.m. In My Mother’s Kitchen with Trish Magwood

Books to Cooks welcomes James Beard Award-winning author and chef, Trish Magwood, with her second book, In My Mother’s Kitchen. Join us for a cozy supper with Trish as she shares stories, recipes and cooking tips for delicious family meals. A limited number of seats are still available. The cost of this event is $105.00.

Wednesday, May 11, 6:30 p.m. Vegetarian Options
This evening we feature The Vegetarian Option by UK author Simon Hopkinson. Books to Cooks’ Chef Lawren Moneta demonstrates a versatile vegetarian menu using interesting ingredients and combinations that will appeal to all cooks inspired to cook more vegetarian dishes. There are 4 spots available costing $85.00 each.

Friday, May 13, 6:00 p.m. Reception: Adventures with Knives
Begin your weekend with a festive reception for french apple press’ newest publication, Adventures with Knives: Surviving 1,000 Hours of Culinary School by Bob Foulkes. Tickets are $35.00 and include a signed copy of Adventures with Knives.

Saturday, May 14, 10:30 a.m. A Parisian Lunch SOLD OUT
This intimate luncheon featuring Cooking for Me and Sometimes You is sold out. However, Barbara-jo will be chatting about her time in Paris at an upcoming salon on Thursday, June 2 at 6:00 p.m. Tickets for the evening apero are $35.00.

Saturday, May 14, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Booksigning: Everyday Eden
Local authors Christina Symons and John Gillespie pop in with their book, Everyday Eden: 100+ Fun Green Garden Projects for the Whole Family to Enjoy. Join us for refreshments from their book and for a demonstration of one of their whimsical projects. This event is free, however, please RSVP.

Sunday, May 15, 5:00 p.m. A Year In My Kitchen
We round out the week with a cozy Sunday supper at our yearlong club, A Year In My Kitchen. Chef Glenys Morgan celebrates the best of the season with a delicious dinner featuring the freshest local ingredients. There are two open spots available for this evening. Individual tickets are $85.00.

For more information about these and other Events, visit our website at www.bookstocooks.com and please call 604-688-6755 to register.

Fundraiser – Wednesday, March 16^th, 2011 – 6pm

The Loss of a Son Brings Hope To Youth In Crisis; Father hopes inspirational cookbook will raise funds for Canadian drug addicted youth.

Author and Chef Kevin Snook will be in Canada this March to launch his second cookbook on behalf of the Dan Snook Foundation, with funds to Portage, a residential rehabilitation centre for substance abusing adolescents and young adults, and to announce an education bursary and mentorship program with one of Canada’s top chefs. Celebrating Dan’s life is important to Kevin Snook. His son was just a boy really when he died, only 19. His life was full of spirit. He loved the outdoors, fishing, cooking; the Sea.

Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks is delighted to host the book launch for “A Boy After the Sea 2” -  The  book, with 29 acclaimed chefs, many of them their country’s top chef, is as beautiful as it is hopeful. With a foreword from British restaurant Fat Duck’s Heston Blumenthal and recipes from chefs’ such as Thomas Keller, Marcus Wareing, Daniel Boulud and Canada’s Robert Clark, this book focuses more on the health of our oceans with all the recipes using sustainable seafood from around the world. It’s a book that takes both food and the ocean seriously with expert commentary. Kevin’s earlier effort, A Boy After the Sea, was awarded the prestigious Gourmand Cook Book Award in Paris earlier this year. Food for the evening will be presented by acclaimed seafood restaurant C, with Executive Chef Robert Clark demonstrating  recipes from the book. Past and present chef contributors will be flying in to attend.  The cookbook, A Boy After the Sea 2 ($55) is included in the evenings cost with all proceeds donated to the Dan Snook Foundation, which assists youth in crisis. Cost: $85 per person – booking by credit card at 604-688-6755 or bookcook@intergate.ca

Books to Cooks on Monday, December 13, 6:00 p.m.

http://www.bookstocooks.com/

Everyone   loves coming home to the tantalizing aromas of slowly braised stews and who doesn’t love fuss-free entertaining? Victoria author Eric Akis reveals the secrets to both in his new book, Everyone Can Cook Slow Cooker Meals. Eric’s popular series, Everyone Can Cook, offers simple, easy recipes that are innovative, interesting and delicious.

Books to Cooks

On Friday, October 22 at 6:00 p.m. join Eric for a reception where he will demonstrate and share slow cooker tips. While guests savour delectable slow cooker morsels, they will be entered into a draw for a new state-of-the-art All Clad slow cooker. Tickets are $35.00.

On Saturday, October 23 at 10:30 a.m. Eric is in the kitchen featuring tips, techniques and recipes from Everyone Can Cook Slow Cooker Meals. Eric will show guests how to transform everyday ingredients into gourmet meals using the most versatile, time saving appliance, the slow cooker. The cost of this class is $85.00.

Both events include a signed copy of Everyone Can Cook Slow Cooker Meals by Eric Akis.

For more information about these and other events, visit our Events page at www.bookstocooks.com and call 604-688-6755 to register.

Well Seasoned 

Slow Cooker Meals October 24, 2010- 12:00 pm to 2:30 pm

We are very excited to welcome Chef Eric Akis back to the Well Seasoned kitchen.  Known for his accessible approach to cooking, Eric Akis returns to the Everyone Can Cook Series with recipes for your slow cooker! Each of those recipes has a suggested dish to create a complete meal, whether it’s for a workday or special occasion.
For Eric Akis, becoming a slow cooker convert was no easy task. As a professionally trained chef and accomplished food writer, the idea of throwing everything in a pot and leaving it for 8 hours seemed like a cop-out. All it took, however, was one recipe to see the benefits of this everyday appliance. Filled with delicious slow cooked main dishes and perfect sides to go with them, Everyone Can Cook Slow Cooker Meals is the must-have accompaniment to any slow cooker.

 Today, Chef Eric will feature a few recipes from his new book…

• Root Vegetable Soup with Blue Cheese
• Chickpea Vegetable Stew with Apricots and Raisins (served with Minty Couscous)
• Pulled Pork Sandwiches (served with Sweet and Tangy Six Vegetable Coleslaw)

 As well, he will take us through a session he calls Slow Cooking 101, where he provide useful information on everything you need to know about the machine, from how it works, to how much to fill it, to adapting conventional recipes for a slow cooker. For more information about Chef Eric and his Everyone Can Cook series check out his website.   http://www.everyonecancook.com/

$69.00*    *includes a copy of the new cookbook  

When you sign up for a class in October your name will be entered to win a shiny new All-Clad 6.5 Quart Stainless Steel Slow Cooker and a copy of Chef Eric`s new book Everyone Can Cook Slow Cooker Meals http://www.wellseasoned.ca/

Food Network star Bob Blumer takes the stage for a raucous evening of food adventures and culinary spectacle. Get up close and personal with the affable host of the award-winning shows, Surreal Gourmet and Glutton for Punishment. Take in a live “food triathlon” and even find yourself challenged to a culinary duel.

Just to make sure you know this ain’t no tea party, this fast paced night of food, showmanship and adventure is set in the Porsche, Lamborghini and Lotus showroom of Weissach Performance, right across the street from the evening’s host, bookstore, Books to Cooks.

The evening includes a reception featuring nibbles and tastes from Bob’s signature recipes, a bit of wine and a signed copy of Bob’s latest book, Glutton for Pleasure: Signature Recipes, Epic Stories and Surreal Etiquette.

Tickets for this evening are $49.00

6:30 pm, Thursday, October 14th
Weissach Performance Showroom
1757 West 2nd Avenue, Vancouver

Brought to you by Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks. Tickets available at Books to Cooks, 1740 West 2nd Avenue or by phone at 604-688-6755. Further information www.bookstocooks.com

October 16, Mad for

November 6, Whole Grain Goodness
Learn to make delectable, wholesome baked goods using a variety of whole grain flours. This morning Chef Glenys Morgan demonstrates wholesome yet delicious baking recipes from Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce. Cost: $95.00

November 13, Boston’s Flour Bakery and Cafe
Flour Bakery in Boston is famous for its whimsical yet sophisticated baking. This morning Chef Glenys Morgan brings a bit of Boston with a demonstration of baked goods from Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery and Cafe by Joanne Chang. Cost: $95.00

November 20, Tantalizing Tartine Bread
San Franciscans know a good loaf of bread and Tartine Bakery is a city favourite destination for their daily loaf. Chef Glenys Morgan guides guests through Tartine Bread by Chad Robertson. Cost: $95.00

November 27, Sweet Magic
Chef Glenys Morgan demonstrates how to transform the basics–butter, eggs, sugar, flour, chocolate–into delectable desserts and sweet baking in Sweet Magic by Michel Richard. Cost: $95.00

For more information about these and other classes, visit our website at www.bookstocooks.com and call 604-688-6755 to register.

Cooking for Me, You and Barbara-jo

Earlier this past summer, Books to Cooks’ very own Barbara-jo McIntosh published an elegant little volume entitled Cooking for Me and Sometimes You, A Parisienne Romance with Recipes. In it she tells the tale of a month spent in Paris – a month spent dining, shopping at the local marchés and cooking in her rented flat. Along the way she encountered romance – of both the palate and the heart.

Inspired by Barbara-jo’s book, resident French romantic John Blakely, who just happens to be the proprietor of the very French Bistro Pastis, is launching a month long celebration of Parisian cuisine. The month of menus kicks off with a very special event – an evening with Barbara-jo on Wednesday, October 13^th. The $115 ticket includes a four-course dinner, wine pairings, tax, gratuity plus a copy of Cooking for Me and Sometimes You (which Barbara-jo with autograph for you). Reservations for this dinner should be made by calling Books to Cooks at 604-688-6755.

Starting on October 17 for four weeks and ending November 13, Bistro Pastis will feature a special Paris at Pastis weekly three-course menu for only $45. Each menu focuses on a particular seasonal ingredient that can be found in the local street marchés that spring up all over the City of Light’s arrondisements. Barbara-jo’s book is based on cooking fresh, seasonal and simple food. Bistro Pastis’ four weekly menus pay tribute to this ethos and present seasonal fare redolent of autumnal comfort

Week One (October 17 – 23) features Charcuterie and includes starters such as Assiette de Charcuterie or traditional Cabbage Salad with Lardons, Red Wine and Shallots Vinaigrette. Mains include: Saucisse de Toulouse, Lentils and Bacon, Red Wine Jus, Choucroutte Garnie and, Sautéed Trout with Bacon and Button Mushrooms in a Pinot Noir Sauce. The autumnal sweetness of maple syrup provides the perfect complement to the end of the meal with two options: Maple Walnut Tart or Maple Bacon Ice Cream with Biscotti for the adventuresome bacon addict.

Week Two (October 24 – 30) focuses on squash. Butternut Squash Soup with Roasted Apple or Roasted Acorn Squash with Brie are two of the first course options. All three mains are so tempting – Oven-roasted Pork Tenderloin with glazed Butternut Squash and Almond Sauté or Grilled Snapper served with Lemon Herb Spaghetti Squash or Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Ravioli napped with Tomato Confit. End with either an Acorn Squash Tart or Pumpkin White Chocolate Mousse.

Pears take the spotlight in Week Three (October 31 – November 6). Start with a classic Salade of Pears, Roquefort, Belgian Endive and Candied Walnuts or perhaps allow the Pear and Brie Tart to tempt you. Roasted Pear Soup is sure to provide comforting warmth on a damp day. Then move on to either Over-roasted Chicken Breast, Pear and Onion Tarte Tatin with Sage Jus or Sautéed Prawns, Fennel Risotto, Asian Pear Beurre Blanc or perhaps the classic pairing (sorry, we couldn’t resist) of Grilled Pork Chop with Pear and Brown Butter Purée. Dessert choices include Spiced Red Wine Poached Pear Crème Brulée or Poire Belle Hélène with Chocolate Sauce.

Is there an ingredient that screams ‘autumn!” more than the mushroom? The final menu (November 7 – 13) pays homage to the lowly fungus in all its myriad incarnations. For starters there are three delicious options: Mushroom and Fennel Salad (Oyster, Shitake and Button Mushrooms), Mushroom and Goat Cheese Tarte with Mesclun Salade White Truffle Vinaigrette and Wild Mushroom Soup with Bacon Froth. Grilled Flank Steak with a lovely mushroomy Sauce Forestière, Pan-Seared Ling Cod with Mushroom Risotto and Mushroom Gnocchi with Roasted Root Vegetables take centre stage while Candy Cap Crème Caramel and Cherry Mousse Crèpe with Mushroom Meringue provide the sweet finish.

Known for its extensive wine cellar, Bistro Pastis will be offering a 25 per cent discount off its wine list for those who wish to enjoy un verre de vin with their ‘Parisian repas.’

From October 17 through November 13, join us at Bistro Pastis for a little Parisian romance and comforting autumn fare. At only $45 per person, it’s a très bon marché and more economical than a plane ticket to Paris.

Reservations are always a good idea and can be made by calling 604-731-5020 or on-line at www.bistropastis.com To reserve for the special evening with Barbara-jo McIntosh, please call Books to Cooks at 604-688-6755.

In collaboration with UBC Farm, Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks is pleased to announce a fundraising day with Joel Salatin, holistic farmer, author, educator and activist. On Polyface Farm in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, Joel and his family nurture a non-industrial, food production oasis. Instead of conventional methods of farming the Salatins debunk all conventional food production with their refreshing paradigm that respects the natural physiology of animals, the land, the rhythms of nature and human connectedness to it all. A key personality in documentaries such as Fresh and Food Inc. and in Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Joel has been instrumental in supporting a new sustainable food production movement.

A Dinner with Joel Salatin :: 4:00 p.m. at UBC Farm
Join Joel for an intimate dinner at UBC Farm (outdoors if the weather allows or in the greenhouse otherwise). Dinner will be prepared by Andrea Carlson from Bishop’s Restaurant and will feature a menu of sustainable, local food. Proceeds from this fundraiser dinner benefit UBC Farm. Cost: $95.00.

An Evening with Joel Salatin :: 7:00 p.m. at UBC MacMillan Building (2357 Main Mall, UBC)
Join us for an educational, humourous and inspiring evening with Joel as he discusses his family’s “beyond organic”, sustainable approach to farming. This evening Joel will also discuss his new book, The Sheer Ecstasy of Being a Lunatic Farmer. Proceeds of ticket sales benefit UBC Farm. Cost: $45.00 (includes a signed copy of The Sheer Ecstasy of Being a Lunatic Farmer).

The 45-minute classes will be offered twice daily, and will be taught demonstration-style in the Sinclair Centre Atrium (adjacent to Sinclair Centre food court, so attendees are encouraged to grab lunch and enjoy the show).

And yes … there will be samples!

Class Schedule

August 23:
11:45 a.m. – French Food Fast
1:00 p.m. – Sea’s Bounty

August 24:
11:45 a.m. – Savouring the Harvest
1:00 p.m. – College Cooking

August 25:
11:45 a.m. – Easy Vegetarian
1:00 p.m. – Sea’s Bounty

August 26:
11:45 a.m. – French Food Fast
1:00 p.m. – Savouring the Harvest

August 27:
11:45 a.m. – Easy Vegetarian
1:00 p.m. – College Cooking
Pre-registration is not required, and seating will be available on a first-come first-served basis.

About the Sinclair Centre

The Sinclair Centre is a historic upscale shopping mall located in downtown Vancouver at 757 West Hastings Street between Granville and Howe. The centre is comprised of four buildings that were restored by Henriquez Partners Architects and joined together by a glass atrium roof in 1986. While known best for its Government of Canada offices, the Sinclair Centre is also a destination for luxury shopping, including fashion (Leone, L2 and Escada), pens and stationary (Charals), perfumes (The Perfume Shoppe) and fine linens (Terra Nova).

For more information please visit www.sinclaircentre.com.