Great Chefs Cook at Barbara-Jo's

Joan Lovisek, Ph.D., is a consulting anthropologist and ethnohistorian
in British Columbia.

As the reader is reminded throughout this book, Barbara-Jo McIntosh has
a cookbook store in Vancouver that serves as a venue for celebrity chefs
to demonstrate their culinary talents. Not surprisingly, the invited
celebrity chefs make glowing comments about McIntosh before preparing
some recipe from their cookbook, which is sold (where else) in her
store.

Despite having received copyright permission to print the recipes,
McIntosh intentionally omits parts of the ingredients or instructions in
some of the recipes. The Stir Fried Beef with Five Peppercorns
conveniently omits the five peppercorn mixture, which readers can
presumably find out about if they come to McIntosh’s store and buy the
celebrity chef’s cookbook. The Sweet Potato and Pecan Pie is missing
the method to make the pie crust, while the Tuna Tartare with Tamari
Vinaigrette is without its garnish.

No matter. The recipes are just glaze for the book’s true
subject—McIntosh’s cookbook store.