British Columbia in cookbooks

There is no greater delight for a cook than producing a delicious meal, appreciated solo or in company. It becomes even more rewarding if the ingredients come from close to home, so that the environment gets to say thank you as well. In addition, it is great knowing that you supported the local economy and contributed to the welfare of those around you.

Fortunately, we are blessed with a bounty of produce in British Columbia. And to help us get ideas about what to do with it, there are a quite a few local cookbooks as well.

Heather Cameron, from Missing Goat Farm, in Surrey, started her creative journey as a blogger. Her cookbook, Fresh-farm Recipes from the Missing Goat Farm, is both tender in tone and bold in attitude.  Her stories are personal and easy to relate to, and, in spite of the fact that she is not a professional photographer, her amazing pictures seem good enough to eat.

Merida Anderson, from North Vancouver, is a ceramist and a self-taught chef. At a time when vegan food was new to Vancouver, she started a club called Vegan Secret Supper in her own apartment. Arsenal Pulp Press then published the Vegan Secret Supper cookbook, for those who want to follow in its author footsteps and experiment with plant-based recipes.

Food and wine columnist Jennifer Schell created the new go-to, must-have cookbook for the Okanagan region, aptly called The Butcher, the Baker, the Wine and the Cheese-Maker - An Okanagan Cookbook. It features the distinctive community and style of the Okanagan Valley, with stories from local farmers, chefs and winemakers.

For even more local inspiration, you can check out this article from Vancouver Sun, a roundup of 15 British Columbia cookbooks.