Alyssa Haggarty recommends
Alyssa Haggarty is an Associate in the Private Wealth team at Maurice Turnor Gardner.
Read on to find out which six books Alyssa recommends, and why…
“I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.” ― W.C. Fields
Outside of work I am more likely to have my nose in a cookbook than a book-book. I love starting and ending most days at the kitchen table over a meal. Each Christmas, my family picks a new cookbook and cuisine for the coming year.
In this special edition of MTG Recommends, the usual rule of “absolutely no scoffing allowed” has been disapplied. I hope you enjoy this selection of my favourites.
Everyday Dorie: The Way I Cook
Dorie Greenspan
If I could only keep one cookbook out of my collection, it would be this classic by Dorie Greenspan. Dorie has worked with some of the greats, including Julia Child and Pierre Hermé, and likes to “sneak in a surprise” to her recipes, like cranberries in her Subtly Spicy, Softly Hot, Slightly Sweet Beef Stew. This is my dish to impress. I often ask my friends what they would make if they were auditioning for Masterchef - this is mine!
This is a cookbook that makes you feel like a proper chef, with French classics (hello, lemon fennel chicken-in-a-pot) mixed with unexpected flavours like gochujang, ginger and star anise. For those with a sweet tooth, Dorie’s apple custard crisp is the best apple crisp I have ever had.
Eating Out Loud: Bold Middle Eastern Flavours for All Day, Everyday
Eden Grinshpan
Eden is the host of Top Chef Canada. Her recipes are big and flavour and fun.
I love the bold and colourful ingredients that are found in Middle Eastern food. On weekends you will find me at the greengrocer carrying armfuls of herbs and vegetables to chop, blitz and pickle. My favourite evenings with friends involve a table filled with colourful bowls of Eden’s zingy dips, salads and spreads that are stuffed into pitas and promptly devoured. Eden’s Tahini Caesar has become a weeknight staple in my house. Her Chicken Shawarma, complete with garlic tahini sauce, chopped salad, zhoug, amba (pickled mango sauce) and pickled onions is a crowd pleaser.
Like me, Eden is Canadian and appreciates sneaking a little maple syrup into recipes wherever possible.
What’s Gaby Cooking: Eat What You Wany
Gaby Dalkin
Gaby Dalkin lives in the US and is a former personal chef to the stars. Gaby is one of my favourite chefs for (truly) 30 minute weekday meals, as well as party menus and cocktails. I own four of her cookbooks, one of which can usually be found on the kitchen counter.
Chicken Larb Bowls is one of Gaby’s most popular recipes and is available on her website here. I am a fan of bold Thai flavours, and with lemongrass, lime leaves, coconut milk and Thai basil, this recipe does not disappoint. It’s a great “clear out the fridge recipe” and I never make it the same way twice. When deciding how much garlic and ginger to add, the limit does not exist. As my French friend likes to say, “Garlic should not be measured, but felt by the heart”. A word of caution - despite attempts to double this recipe, it rarely results in leftovers.
100 Morning Treats
Sarah Kieffer
For sweet treats, my mom recently introduced me to Sarah Kieffer’s 100 Morning Treats and 100 Cookies. One bite of the carrot cake muffins with brown butter cream cheese frosting was enough to convince me to add Sarah’s book to my collection. The Great MTG Bake-Off is kicking off soon, and the carrot cake muffins are a strong contender.
Berber & Q: On Vegetables: Recipes for barbequing, grilling, roasting, smoking, pickling and slow-cooking
Josh Katz
The newest addition to my collection is Josh Katz’ cookbook on vegetables which comes highly recommended by Ed Powles in our team. Before opening his own restaurant, Josh worked with industry greats including Ottolenghi. I have never heard so many people rave about charred hispi cabbage and this is the first on my list of recipes to try this autumn.