Let’s be frank: I always thought my publisher was a mite ambitious when he nominated my terroir cookbook À la bonne franquette 2 for the Taste Canada Food Writing Awards. After all, the first edition had already won the silver in 2010, in the “Best French Culinary Culture Cookbook In Canada” category (see here). How could a second edition repeat such an exploit? And yet, repeat it did and has!
The revamped and augmented edition — achieved with the participation of 120 Québec establishments, which makes it arguably the largest sampling of local chefs ever — is nominated in the “Best General Cookbook” category. Alongside no less than the amazing Toqué! and the heartwarming SoupeSoup à la maison in the French category alone. The full list of winners is here.
To explain their choice, jury members delivered some touching compliments that had this thick-skinned cynic quite emotional, actually (translated by me below).
“It’s a very big, very attractive book, well organized and thought out”
“A bible for cooks of all ages”
Wow. Wow and thank you. I will be there on November 4 for the Gala Evening, of course, simply proud to see my work recognized again. I mean (and I can already hear my publisher on the phone but I’m sorta missing the PC gene), I myself would vote for Toqué! in a heartbeat. This time, I promise I will not end up sick in a Toronto hotel bed, crushed by a fungus that left me coughing my lungs out instead of standing in the winner’s circle on that fateful 2010 evening. Bring on the vitamin pills.
So Toronto, here I come! On Porter again, which my whole family looooves so much. As for hotels and restos, if you have any tips, I’m all ears…
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