Canadian Herb Cookbooks

Ann Tudor was the former Managing Editor of Canadian Book Review Annual and had her own Toronto-based crafts company, Honest Threads.

Nancy Enright, a Toronto food writer and cooking columnist for the Globe and Mail, has prepared a book of both new and classic recipes using herbs that are readily available in Canada. It is a fine addition to Lorimer’s Great Canadian Cookbooks series.

The book is arranged alphabetically by 22 herbs, from basil and bay leaf to tarragon and thyme. Users will probably find recipes using this arrangement rather than through the index, which is of limited use (“Anne’s vegetable dip” is indexed under Anne’s and under Sauces, but not under Vegetables, Dip, or Appetizers).

Each section is introduced with a line drawing and a small background essay on the herb, giving history, growing information, general uses, and whether the herb can be dried, frozen, or used only fresh. Five or six recipes, from simple to complicated, are given for each herb. The recipes, which are varied and interesting, represent the cuisines of many countries (Indonesian barbecued chicken, salmon coulibiak, cream of eddo soup).

This is a wonderful book for the cook, but particularly for the cook whose herb garden is flourishing.