Sheryl Kirby

It's not really “new” anymore, and food snobs will probably sneer, but I love this book for the fact that it covers so many basics so well. It's my go-to when giving housewarming and wedding presents because I believe that more people would cook if they were comfortable with the basics, especially when those recipes are mostly foolproof.

A more advanced “basic” cookbook, this is what I reference when I'm looking up recipes for something slightly more detailed.

I'm probably never going to cook from this, because the thing is massive and the recipes are seriously old school, but I was so happy when this was re-issued and I finally got to own a copy.

I grew up in Nova Scotia and this cookbook, a collection of recipes dating back to the Acadians, was what turned me on to food history and cultural theory.

What do you mean you've never heard of Paré? This caterer from Alberta, Canada wrote her first cookbook, 150 Delicious Squares, in 1981 at age 53. She's published over 200 separate titles under the Company's Coming series, selling over 30 million copies total. Okay, not all of these single-subject cookbooks are fabulous, but she's a Canadian culinary icon, and most Canadian homes have at least one of her books. This one is a true classic.

Possibly too much of a reliance on “things on toast” but this is a good, solid cookbook that gets used in my house pretty frequently, just because the recipes are simple, straightforward, and tasty.

I bought this book after writing a review of it and I've been using it regularly. I love the simplified steps that still turn out a rustic but totally sophisticated dish.

Working with the Nova Scotia archives, modern chefs from around the province rework and reinterpret historical recipes from the 1750s to mid-1900s.

Before you could look things up easily on the internet, this was the cook's best reference for understanding a dish.

Ort is both a beer writer and an accomplished cook and he has an excellent understanding of how food and beer work together, not just as pairings, but using beer as an ingredient within a dish.