Inspiration

I've noticed that a lot of my recipes tend to come from online sources these days. I do, however, have a fairly small but well thumbed recipe book collection. I find myself reaching for a handful of the dozen or so cookbooks that I own whenever I find myself needing to answer the age old question, "What's for dinner?".

One of the most reliable cookbooks in my collection is The New Canadian Basics Cookbook. This is a great book. I received it as a gift many years ago and it shows signs of frequent use. Some pages are stained (I'm not a neat cook) and some are falling out; many are dog-eared. I've written notes in the margins of some recipes: cut carrots smaller, better w orange zest v. lemon, or, my husbands favourite of my recipe short-hand: v. good. Occasionally, if I'm feeling generous, v.v. good. Crack that code, it you can.

If you ever get your hands on a copy of New Canadian Basics here are some recipes you can rely on:

Hot Artichoke Dip
Turkey Parmigiana Panini
Leek and Potato Soup
Layered Taco Dip
Make-Ahead Coleslaw
Herb-Roasted Chicken Breasts with Garlic, Potatoes and Carrots
Banana Bread
Chocolate Snacking Cake
Double Ginger Crackle Cookies
Four Fruit Punch

Obviously don't attempt or serve all of these in one sitting - not a menu, just a road map. I'm still struggling with my copyright issues or I'd reprint some of the above recipes in their entirety for you here.