Congratulations to the winners of the 2013 Awards. Good to see our pal and Quinoa master Marilyn Smith in there. All great books worth of a place on your shelf. GLV
Taste Canada the food writing awards drew 64 submissions this year, a brilliant snapshot of the vibrancy and diversity of Canadian culinary publishing. The winners were announced at the well-attended Award Ceremony and Gala Reception on the 4th November at the Arcadian Court in Toronto, hosted by Stefano Faita of CBC TV’s In the Kitchen with Stefano Faita.
CULINARY NARRATIVES:
French Kids Eat Everything (And Yours Can Too). Le Billon, Karen. Harper Collins Publishers.
“The research is impressive.” “Timely and relevant for a whole new generation of parents;” “Delightful to read” – The jury
GENERAL COOKBOOKS/LIVRES DE CUISINE GÉNÉRALE:
Canada’s Favourite Recipes. Murray, Rose and Baird, Elizabeth. Whitecap Books.
“Recipes cover a broad-enough range of topics to keep the home cook riveted for some time;” “It covers everything you might ever want to cook, bake, preserve or sip and it reads in places like a diary.” – The jury
Toqué! Les artisans d’une gastronomie québécoise. Laprise, Normand. Les Éditions du passage.
”Je ne peux en dire assez sur ce livre! Une vraie beauté;” “Pour les recettes, la dynamique inspirant, la progression des travaux fait qu’elles se réalisent sans anicroche” – Le jury
REGIONAL/CULTURAL COOKBOOKS
Burma: Rivers of Flavor. Duguid, Naomi. Random House of Canada.
“A very in-depth cookbook that reflects a lot of research and time spent with locals;” “I have confidence in the authenticity of the information, recipes and ingredients.” – The jury
SINGLE-SUBJECT COOKBOOKS/ LIVRES DE CUISINE SUJET UNIQUE
The Book of Kale: The Easy-to-Grow Superfood; 80+ Recipes. Hanna, Sharon.
“It has real personality and charm and the overall results are delicious.” “The book has integrity, heart and pure deliciousness.” – The jury
Cabane à sucre Au pied de Cochon: Le sirop d’erable. Picard. Martin. Restaurant Au pied de cochon.
“Brillant et original. Un thème qui est évidemment très proche du cœur des Canadiens;” “C’est un livre d’art”- Le jury
TASTE CANADA/CBC PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
The Taste Canada/CBC People’s Choice Award was run as a contest at cbc.ca/books for three weeks, and offered the public a chance to vote for their favourite book on the Taste Canada shortlist, and win great prizes, including kitchen equipment from Zwilling J.A. Henckels, and cookbooks. Thousands of entries later, The Vegetarian’s Complete Quinoa Cookbook by Mairlyn Smith, ed. and the Ontario Home Economics Association was announced as this year’s winner by Gill Deacon of CBC Radio’s Here and Now.
TASTE CANADA HALL OF FAME
ELIZABETH BAIRD: Elizabeth Baird’s distinguished career in food began with an invitation from publisher James Lorimer to write a book about Canadian cooking. Classic Canadian Cooking, published in 1974, was her entrée into food writing. She went on to work at various newspapers, but it was her work as food editor of Canadian Living Magazine – for 20 years – that truly made her a household name. Along with magazines, there were other opportunities in radio and television – especially Canadian Living Cooks on the Food Network. And then there were cookbooks, over 30 of them in all, most notably The Complete Canadian Living Cookbook. Elizabeth is the recipient of numerous awards and honours including the Founder’s Award from Cuisine Canada, a National Magazine Award, a Silver Ladle from the Toronto Culinary Guild, and she was also named the Women’s Culinary Network’s Woman of the Year. Most recently, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada.
POSTHUMOUS INDUCTEES
MÈRE EMÉLIE CARON – 1808-1888
Mère Emélie Caron is a prominent example of the many 19th-century women in religious orders who devoted themselves to feeding the poor with nutritious and tasty foods. She was the second mother superior of the Sisters of Providence, and hers is the only name officially attached to Directions diverses, a cookbook that was originally prepared for use at the sisters’ Mother House and subsequently became a standard kitchen reference at many of Québec’s Catholic institutions. First published in 1878, Directions diverses prompted eight editions up to 1913. Its recipes reflect the culinary tastes of the time, with the inclusion of English and American as well as French and traditional Québecois foods
HELEN GOUGEON – 1924-2000
Ottawa-born Helen Gougeon was a cookbook author, food journalist, and radio and television personality who was best known as an early advocate of ethnic cuisine in Canada and an enthusiastic promoter of regional Canadian cooking. Gougeon’s pioneering Cooking…with an Accent (1946) fostered Canadian interest in ethnic recipes long before the multi-cultural movement made this fashionable. She made Canadian regional cuisine accessible on a national scale by publishing recipes in her newspaper columns that had previously been known mostly through community cookbooks. Gougeon’s columns on cooking appeared in Canadian Living, the Montreal Gazette, the Montreal Standard, the Ottawa Journal and Weekend Magazine. Her broadcasting credits included the CBC television series “Bon Appetit”.
Taste Canada―The Food Writing Awards annually recognize and celebrate superior writing and publishing throughout Canada’s culinary world, both English and French.
