Press release
Michael Smith, Rob Gentile, Vikram Vij, and Connie DeSousa are among the culinary greats contributing to Inspired Cooking, which has been called “the best cookbook of its kind.”
The cookbook focuses on nutrition and a sold-out Vancouver gala will celebrate its launch on December 8.
The Best of Food & Wine radio show, an authority on cookbooks, has already heralded Inspired Cooking, naming it “the best edited cookbook of the year.”
Inspired Cooking (Fresh Air Publishing, 2016) is funded by InspireHealth, a not-for-profit organization approved by the BC Ministry of Health that provides supportive cancer care for all Canadians. All proceeds from the cookbook sales go towards sustaining InspireHealth’s services.
Inspired Cooking can be purchased online (inspiredcooking.ca) and at select retailers.
“The stories in the cookbook are deeply relevant. Inspired Cooking shows nutritional education is vital to everyone — even chefs,” says Adrian Brijbassi, the cookbook’s editor and co-founder of Vacay.ca. His wife, Julia Pelish, who passed away from cancer in March, was an inspiration for the book. Along with 21 chefs, the book also profiles cancer survivors.
InspireHealth CEO Janice Wright MD, CCFP, says, “As a medical doctor working with cancer patients and their families, I witness every day how eating well — with attention to our individuality — benefits us in multiple ways. I have seen improvements in peoples’ digestion, energy levels, weight, mood, stamina, sleep, stress levels, and overall well-being after they adopt healthier eating habits.”
Inspired Cooking has been made possible through the support of Macdonald Realty.
Featured chefs include:
Jeremy Charles (Raymonds, Merchant Tavern), St. John’s, NFLD
Michael Smith (Inn at Bay Fortune), PEI
Chris Aerni (Rossmount Inn), St. Andrews By-the-Sea, NB
Patrice Demers (Patrice Pâtissier), Montreal
Antonio Park (Park, Lavendaria), Montreal
Jason Bangerter (Langdon Hall), Cambridge, ON
Victor Barry (Piano Piano), Toronto
Rob Gentile (Buca), Toronto
Roger Mooking (Twist), Toronto
Dale MacKay (Ayden Kitchen and Bar), Saskatoon, SK
Connie DeSousa and John Jackson (CHARCUT, Charbar), Calgary
Roy Oh (Anju), Calgary
James Walt (Araxi), Whistler, BC
Angus An (Maenam), Vancouver
Ned Bell (Vancouver Aquarium), Vancouver
Andrea Carlson (Burdock & Co.), Vancouver
Stefan Hartmann (Bauhaus), Vancouver
Jackie Kai Ellis (Beaucoup Bakery), Vancouver
Vikram Vij (Vij’s), Vancouver
Warren Barr (Pointe Restaurant at the Wickaninnish Inn), Tofino, BC