DABBLER GIVEAWAY DETAILS AT THE END OF THIS ARTICLE!

“Cooking, like sex and dancing, is a pleasure best shared. This is a book about what two people can do with their own four hands, and not a lot of time.” James Barber

Have you ever banned others from the kitchen and have slaved over a stove, following every single ingredient measurement to the milligram and millilitre, only to find yourself with a disappointing meal and a loss of appetite? I have! I’ve thrown away many a dish in frustration and have pretty much given up on cookbooks. This one’s a little different though.

If you know The Urban Peasant, you also know that he doesn’t like to fuss about in the kitchen. He cooks by the pinches and dashes and likes to get his hands into the mix. Just hearing him talk about food can make you salivate and you can rest assured that with a cookbook by him, you won’t need to make a trip to the only ultra trendy market that carries some unpronounceable herb or spice. Cumin is just about as exotic as you’re gonna get!

For many people out there (I’m pointing at my hubby), vegetables don’t really make it onto the dinner menu, so in our featured dish, James Barber offers a quick and easy way to dress up a plate of green beans. I like my sauce a little on the chunkier side so I requested it this way, but if you want a more liquid consistency to your sauce, simply add more olive oil to the mixture. That’s the beauty of real cooking. You add what you want, in the amount that you want, and don’t have to conform to a set of rules and measurements. You’ll find that cooking becomes less of a chore and you might actually want someone else in the kitchen with you!

The new revised edition of Cooking for Two is filled with over 140 recipes from simple appetizers like Garlic Mushrooms to scrumptious desserts like Caramel Apples on Puff Pastry. Throughout the book, you’ll also find useful tips such as how to avoid overcooking fish (fish needs to be cooked between 8 and 9 minutes per inch of thickness, measured at the thickest part). And in true James Barber fashion, there are also humorous anecdotes, such as how monogamy was born of the common chicken’s egg!

With 14 chapters of recipes, the famous celebrity chef proves that there are no limitations when cooking for two. The book isn’t as stylized as some cookbooks out there but then again, it contains recipes that you can actually make successfully the very first time. I think that’s a fair trade-off!

For the recipe of our featured dish, and to learn how you can win a copy of James Barber’s Cooking for Two, please read on!

Turkish Green Beans (p. 56 of Cooking for Two)

Ingredients:

8 oz (250 g) green beans
1/2 cup (125 ml) walnuts
3/4 cup (175 ml) bread crumbs
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
A handful of parsley
1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt
A pinch of pepper
1/3 cup (75 ml) olive oil

Directions:

Put a pot of water on to boil

While you trim the stem end of the green beans, have someone start making the sauce: Place the walnuts, bread crumbs, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper in a food processor, and blend to a paste

Add the olive oil while the machine is still running, and whiz until everything is smooth

Cook the green beans in the boiling water until tender but still bright green, about 4 minutes

Drain the beans, spoon the sauce over top and serve

It’s THAT simple!

Must-Know for All Who Love to Cook:

We were at Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks for the taping of this segment and trust me, no matter how good a cook you are, as long as you love the kitchen, you need to check out this shop. It has absolutely every cookbook imaginable, and the friendliest people working there. And the best part? You have the rare opportunity to meet some of the greatest chefs around through the countless cooking classes and speaking engagements that they present at the store throughout the year. Pop over to 1740 West 2nd Avenue (half a block east of Burrard). It’s a find!

James Barber is best recognized as the host of the internationally acclaimed TV series The Urban Peasant, which is shown around the world. His bestselling books include One-Pot Wonders, Peasant’s Alphabet and Peasant’s Choice. He is also a regular contributor to a wide range of publications including Pacific Yachting, The Globe & Mail, Western Living, The Georgia Straight and The Vancouver Province. Barber lives on a farm near Duncan, BC.

DABBLER GIVEAWAY!

If you want a user-friendly cookbook with simple recipes to enjoy with someone else, watch the video and email me the answer to this question: What does James Barber also call himself? (he says it in the first five seconds of the video). Deadline for submissions is August 2nd!