As you may or may not yet know, I love to entertain. I love all aspects of party planning (read our How to Host: the 3 Ws post here!) but putting together a menu and cooking for an event is truly my favourite part! I don’t really love to cook on a daily basis, never really have, but give me a dinner party or a bridal shower to cook for and I’m all in!! I also don’t love to repeat recipes or menus I’ve created in the past, especially when it comes to hosting parties. I am always wanting to try out new dishes or updated versions of a classic, and because of this I’ve tried a lot of recipes and have acquired quite a large library of cookbooks over the years. When I get a new cookbook, I read it like a novel: cover to cover… and yes, some cookbooks are just better than others! No matter how gorgeous the pictures or how engaging the headnotes, I can often tell after making and tasting one or two recipes from a book, if it will be one I cook from over and over again or not. I do love an atmospheric, niche, restaurant-style menu cookbook, like Erin French’s Lost Kitchen, Jerry Traunfeld’s The Herbal Kitchen or the inspirational and aspirational Shane Chartrand’s Tawaw and Thomas Keller’s French Laundry, that often showcase complex, multi-step recipes using uncommon pantry items. These cookbooks are fun to read through, and give interesting insights to the chef’s menu process or restaurant inspiration, and I can always find a dish or two to save for a day when I want to try a more complicated recipe.
I am often making a dish for the first time for my guests, I know, I know… some people gasp at this and they wouldn’t advise it, but c’est la vie!! (Especially if you’ve cooked and entertained a few times before, I say go for it… worst that happens is you have a funny story to tell around the dinner table over the last-minute food you had to Doordash!) So I tend not to cook as often from these more “chefy” books, but I do get tons of inspiration!
With all that being said, following are the cookbooks I’m repeatedly reaching for right now when I’m planning a menu for any kind of party or get-together!
Well Seasoned by Mary Berg
How cute is this Canadian darling and winner of MasterChef Canada?! She has written three cookbooks, starred in several cooking shows, and is the host of her own show, The Good Stuff with Mary Berg. I love all of her cookbooks, and every recipe I’ve made from them has come out great! However, of her three books, Well Seasoned is my favourite. Using a clever play on the word seasoned… not only do you season your food, but use of season over the calendar year, the book is sectioned by season: ‘Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter! Her stories are engaging and the yummy sounding recipes are highlighted by mouth-watering photos. Her bubbly personality and enthusiasm bursts from each page, and I want to raid her fabulous collection of eyewear! Her grown-up version of rice krispie squares are delish, the puckery sweet French Lemon Tart with Macadamia White Chocolate Crust is a stunner at the end of a dinner party, and the Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Balsamic Chutney is on my next-to-cook list!
everyday dinners by Jessica Merchant
I am a huge fan of Jessica’s food blog: How Sweet Eats, and have been an avid reader since she launched it in 2009! She has created some of my favourite sheet cakes… okay, I’ll admit, I do make recipes more than once, especially when they’re super delish and my friends or family request it. However, if you come to my house for more than one dinner party, you will not be served repeat dishes, ever! My family is exempt from this “rule” because I feed them way too often to have zero repeat recipes, and they do often ask to be served their favourites again!! Back to the sheet cakes, Jessica’s pumpkin dream cake and triple berry vanilla sheet cake are totally heavenly, delightful and craveable! I own all four of her cookbooks, and have made multiple dishes from each one, but everyday dinners is my top fave. This is the one I turn to for great salads (BLT Corn Salad) and salad dressings (blue cheese vinaigrette and house vinaigrette) as well as meat dishes and sauces (Grilled Peach BBQ Pork Chops). There are so many more dishes of hers I want to try, especially for my family dinners and BBQ’s, since I have a feeling they’ll be added to our “repeat” list!
Anna Cooks by Anna Olson
I have been a big fan of Anna’s since her Sugar baking show days in 2002… a Canadian chef celeb, she’s written 8 baking/cookbooks!! I’ve collected many of her recipes from when she had her shows on Food Network, and I own her Christmas holiday cookbook from which I’ve made several delicious seasonal recipes. But her latest, Anna Cooks published in 2025, is my new obsession. Since purchasing it as my “Christmas gift from me, to me”, I’ve made 6 recipes from this book in 1 month (unheard of for me!) and each one has been a hit! I’ve even baked two cookie recipes multiple times already… based on my own cravings and those family member requests! Hello Stracciatella Shortbread and 21st Century Chocolate Chip Cookies!! The Carrot-Apple Five Spice Soup is sublime and is on my shortlist for a future dinner party! I love her headnotes in this book, and the recipe layout, ingredient list and instructions are so easy to navigate. Totally recommend this cookbook! Also, I really want to be friends with her, chit chat all things food over some tea, accompanied by some of her incredible cookies!!
Do you own any of these cookbooks, and if so, are they also a go-to for you!? Favourite recipe? Or do you have another favourite cook book that is inspiring your meals right now? I’d love to know, drop all the yummy recipes below, or come share on instagram! I’m always looking for the next newest, bestest bite!!
Happy reading, cooking, eating and experimenting,
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