Holiday Treats

When you walk through the doors at Books to Cooks during the busy holiday season, you're greeted with the warm inviting fragrance of holiday baking. This season's delectable goodies are from Pastry: Savory and Sweet by Michel Roux.

Pastry features a versatile range of basic pastry recipes that can be transformed into festive holiday treats from mince tarts and a bevy of delicate cookies to entertaining savouries such as gourgere and sausage rolls. Pastry, available for $19.95 makes a lovely gift for yourself and for all the baking lovers on your Christmas list.

Market Fresh!

Farmers markets are beginning to burgeon for the summer season and locally grown fresh vegetables and fruits are being sought after by fresh-flavour-seekers. For a listing of Farmers Markets closest to you check out this link for Vancouver Farmers Markets. This site is great for planning your day around shopping for the most tasty, in-season, produce to plan a simple picnic, or a lavish night of entertaining friends and family. Whatever the reason, it is a good idea to support your local farmers and encourage purchasing and eating their seasonal crops.

Mark has taken advantage of our local produce this week by preparing three different items to feature three of our favourite cookbooks here at Barbara-Jo's Books to Cooks. Michel Roux's Pastry, Elisa Beynon's The Vicar's Wife's Cook Book, and Elisabeth M. Purueitt and Chad Robertson's Tartine. Each recipe is straight forward and easy to use with a finished product nothing but spectacular.

From top to bottom:

Seasonal Vegetable Tart

Maman's Tarte aux Fraises

Banana-Date Tea Cake

A Spring Day with Michel Roux

On May 4, Barbara-Jo's Books to Cooks was delighted to host chef and author Michel Roux. Michel, who has a culinary career of over 40 years, graced us with his knowledge, wisdom and humour at four events.

The day's activities began with a luncheon at the Wedgewood Hotel. Michel enchanted guests over an elegant meal featuring a sampling of recipes from his latest book, Pastry, that was prepared by Executive Chef Lee Parsons.

In the afternoon, Michel joined us at the shop for a taping of CBC's North by Northwest with Sheryl MacKay. At this event, students from PICA were invited to be the audience and Michel was generous in sharing his knowledge and inspiration with these budding chefs.

At the following reception and book signing, Michel shared more of his stories and cooking tips as he demonstrated his recipe and technique for making rough puff pastry. Hors d'oeuvres prepared from Pastry were enjoyed by guests.

The evening concluded with an intimate candlelit dinner featuring recipes from Pastry prepared by Chef Adrienne O'Callaghan. Guests enjoyed a wonderful evening of fine food, wine and cheer and raised a glass to one of the world's true culinary icons.

To view more photos from Michel Roux's visit, please follow this link.

Having a Ball of a Time with Choux Pastry!

Mark Holmes has delighted once again this Sunday afternoon here at Barbara-Jo's by experimenting with choux pastry. Simple and oh so versatile, choux pastry can be understated or glamourized as seen in Mark's choux pastry tower of cream filled profiteroles drizzled in a waterfall of glistening caramelized sugar. No matter what the occasion, choux pastry is sure to amaze. Come in to the store to buy your own Michel Roux Pastry: Savory & Sweet and discover that there is a pastry chef inside all of you. Michel Roux makes it easy.

Pastry in Europe 2009 is being launched this coming Wednesday, April 8 at 1:00pm here at Barbara-Jo's Books to Cooks see our events page for further details. Mark made some Banana fritters and fried them up using one of the recipes from this book. Crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside. When trying one a customer exclaimed, "these are amazing!"