Simply Bishop's

When you walk into John Bishop's restaurant, Bishop's, you are greeted with a warm, elegant simplicity.

John's latest cookbook, Simply Bishop's, embodies that experience in print. The cookbook celebrates seasonal ingredients prepared simply.

John's philosophy about cooking and entertaining involves letting fresh ingredients speak for themselves and not smothering them. Recipes, developed by John and chef Dennis Green, are divided into general courses. Within each course category, recipes are grouped into seasons in which ingredients are available. Each recipe is preceded by a brief, insightful story or anecdote about the recipe. The recipes themselves seem simple, yet elegant. Most dishes require only a few steps and few advanced cooking techniques. The more complex recipes are broken down into realistic, undaunting stages. Of course the book is sprinkled with beautiful colour photos of some of the recipes as well as candid shots of the chef about town.

Simply Bishop's also gives great pointers on entertaining. From planning a menu to developing a workplan for the kitchen to clean up plans! These common sense suggestions are taken for granted by people like us who cook and have dinner parties often, but it's nice to see them explained in a cookbook. All of the suggestions lead to a more relaxed and enjoyable entertaining experience for guests and the host.

It's refreshing to find a cookbook that celebrates simple preparation of seasonal foods. We will definitely refer to Simply Bishop's for cooking inspiration as the seasons change.

Simply Bishop's, John Bishop and Dennis Green ISBN 1-55054-949-9