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Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks

Hot Shopping: Recipes in Action at Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks

Sample recipes before you buy at Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks. Photo by KK Law

Want a culinary keepsake? Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks is a Vancouver epicurean institution, complete with a kitchen for delectable demonstrations of recipes by local and international authors. Make bread with artisan baker Chris Brown, author of Flour Water Salt Yeast (Mar. 13), or sample recipes from Buttermilk: A Savour the South Cookbook (Mar. 17) with chef Glenys Morgan. We already love reading menus and recipes, but this is a step above.—Jill Von Sprecken

Hot Dates: Cooking With Iron Chef Rob Feenie

Rob Feenie’s Casual Classics cookbook

September 9

It’s not just Vancouverites who adore Rob Feenie: the local chef has won accolades worldwide, such as becoming the first Canadian to win on the popular TV show Iron Chef America. For the past few years, he’s been leading the culinary team at the Cactus Club Cafe chain of casual restaurants. Now he’s released a new cookbook, Rob Feenie’s Casual Classics: Everyday Recipes for Family and Friends (Douglas & McIntyre, $29.95), to share favourite recipes such as barbecued duck spring rolls and braised osso buco. Meet the celebrated chef in an afternoon event at Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks ($45, includes a signed copy of the book).—Sheri Radford

Hot Dates: Meet Dessert Cookbook Author Alice Medrich

Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts, a cookbook by Alice Medrich

May 6 and 7

Don’t know your rolling pin from your pastry brush? Don’t worry. Alice Medrich’s Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts (Artisan Press; $29.95) is filled with foolproof recipes grouped under enticing headings such as Pudding Pleasure, Lickety-Split Cakes, and Sweet Bites. Beginners and experts alike will be baking up a storm in no time. Meet the “First Lady of Chocolate” at two events at Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks: Alice’s Tea Party on May 6 and Alice in Dessertland on May 7.—Sheri Radford

Hot Dates: Meet a Vancouver Cookbook Author

Local foodie Stephanie Yuen's new cookbook

April 28

Meet local foodie Stephanie Yuen and sample tasty treats from her new cookbook, East Meets West: Traditional and Contemporary Asian Dishes from Acclaimed Vancouver Restaurants (Douglas & McIntyre, $29.95), in a free event at Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks.—Sheri Radford

Hot Shopping: Happy Father’s Day

This elegant watch from OMEGA makes a great gift for Dad

On Jun. 19 it’s all about Dad. Spoil him with a classic timepiece from OMEGA Boutique, such as the DeVille 41mm ($6,200, pictured). If an award-winning novel or photography book is more his speed, stop by Chapters. Help him channel his inner Wolfgang Puck with a cookbook from Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks.—Jennifer Patterson

The 12 Gifts of Christmas

By Jennifer Patterson

On the first day of Christmas my uncle gave to me a bevvy to toast the season: one bottle of Blasted Church’s Hatfield’s Fuse (at liquor stores).

ONE

On the second day of Christmas my father gave to me two made-to-order gifts: including the whisky cave from the newly renovated two-level Louis Vuitton.

TWO

On the third day of Christmas my sister gave to me a festive holiday outfit: a red three-piece ensemble from La Vie En Rose.

THREE

On the fourth day of Christmas my brother gave to me four event tickets: a pair to The Nutcracker and a pair to a Vancouver Canucks game.

FOUR (Photo by Chictype copyright IStock)

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me five golden rings from Tiffany & Co.

FIVE

On the sixth day of Christmas my mother gave to me art from all six of these First Nations galleries: Douglas Reynolds, Inuit Gallery, Hill’s Native Art, Bill Reid, Spirit Wrestler and Coastal Peoples.

SIX (Photo courtesy Bill Reid Gallery)

On the seventh day of Christmas my cousin gave to me seven treats from Chanel: the seven-piece holiday collection with four eye shadows, a nail polish, lip gloss and blush (available at Murale).

SEVEN

On the eighth day of Christmas my grandmother gave to me a little help in the kitchen with eight local cookbooks: Vij’s at Home, Vancouver Cooks 2, Blue Water Cafe, West, Araxi, Simply Bishop’s, C Food and Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill (at Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks).

EIGHT

On the ninth day of Christmas my kids gave to me a reminder of yesteryear: a nine-piece wooden lotus flower puzzle from Dilly Dally Kids.

NINE

On the tenth day of Christmas my boss gave to me no excuse to be late for a meeting ever again: 10 timepieces by Ice-Watch (at Zoë Boutiques).

TEN

On the eleventh day of Christmas my aunt gave to me a little make-up guidance: the 11-piece Lash Stash kit from Sephora.

ELEVEN

And on the twelfth day of Christmas my best friend gave to me 12 misfits: too-cute-for-words felt dolls by Usus, at the One of a Kind Show and Sale (Dec. 9 to 12).

TWELVE

15 Things We Love About Vancouver: September

Historic Burnaby Art Gallery

1 Watching Antony and Cleopatra (to Sep. 24) at Bard on the Beach.
2 Sara Canning. The actress wasn’t born here, but we still claim her as a local.
3 Shakin’ your groove thang at the city’s most popular nightclubs.
4 Burnaby Art Gallery and all the other sights in Deer Lake Park.
5 Eating at any of the local cooking schools, such as Bistro 101 at Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts, Culinaria at The Art Institute of Vancouver, and JJ’s Restaurant at Vancouver Community College.
6 The annual Terry Fox Run (Sep. 19), raising money for cancer research.
7 Local wineries.
8 Taking the first ferry to Victoria or Nanaimo and watching the sun rise.

Perch on "Echoes" by Michael Goulet. Photo by KK Law

9 “Echoes” by Michel Goulet, an art installation on Kits Beach and part of the Vancouver International Sculpture Biennale.
10 Dining at Earls.
11 Robert Bateman. The Canadian painter is visiting Vancouver to meet fans and sign copies of his new book, Bateman: New Works, at Chapters on South Granville (Sep. 25, 2 p.m.).
12 Reading reminiscences of a month’s eating in Paris in Cooking for Me and Sometimes You: A Parisienne Romance with Recipes (French Apple Press, $29.95) by Barbara-Jo McIntosh, owner of Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks, which stocks every tome a budding chef could ever need.
13 The Superdogs at the PNE (to Sep. 6).
14 Indulging our sweet tooth at Stuart’s Bakery.
15 Dropping by The Granville Island Brewing Tap Room for a pint of Brockton IPA—and picking up some small-batch beers to take home after.

Hot Dining: An (Almost) Edible Souvenir

Vancouver Cooks 2

Leading the charge in a rush of cookbooks, Vancouver Cooks 2 (Douglas & McIntyre, $40) is the Chefs’ Table Society’s latest salute to all things culinary, with over 100 new recipes from 70 chefs. Vying for coffee-table space are Araxi: Seasonal Recipes from the Celebrated Whistler Restaurant (Douglas & McIntyre, $45) and Blue Water Cafe Seafood (Douglas & McIntyre, $45), both Gourmand Cookbook Award winners, while stunningly designed C Food (Whitecap Books, $40) is a fitting salute to the contemporary room’s success. Simpler tastes may opt for Barbara-Jo McIntosh’s Tin Fish Gourmet (Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company, $13.95). A handy guide on how to make the most of canned seafood of every kind, it even comes with an impressive endorsement from star chef Michel Roux: “Simplement une revelation…I love it!” All are available at Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks.—Tim Pawsey