Quick and easy meals will always have a place in our kitchens (and in our hearts), but sometimes it's nice to take your time and put a meal together with a little extra care and love. This all-new collection of recipes will tempt family and friends to the table for Sunday supper, or for a home-cooked dinner any day of the week.

Whether you want to prepare an elegant feast for a special occasion or need some simple ideas for meals that will entice your family back to good food, good conversation and laughter at the dinner table, these recipes celebrate what's on the table -- and who's around it.

Elizabeth Chorney-Booth, Sue Duncan and Julie Van Rosendaal

Elizabeth Chorney-Booth's profile page

Sue Duncan grew up in Calgary, cooking and eating at every opportunity with her best friend Julie. She now lives with her husband and daughter in the Okanagan Valley, where she acquires far too much produce at the farmer's market but manages to eat it all anyway.

Sue Duncan's profile page

Julie Van Rosendaal was an avid cook as early as age three. When her father, known for his insatiable sweet tooth, found out he had high cholesterol, Julie took her expertise in the kitchen and began creating healthier and low fat recipes for cookies and sweets. After spending years doing research and experimenting in the kitchen, Julie developed a knack for taking recipes of foods that she craved, typically high in fat, and creating a healthier version. At the same time, she realized that dieting was silly and began to live on her own terms. She simply cooked and ate healthier versions of the foods she loved. In addition to giving her ideas for health-conscious cookbooks (which would eventually become bestsellers), this change in lifestyle led Julie to lose 165 pounds—a testament to the effectiveness and practicality of her recipes and food philosophy. Quickly the demand for her delicious low fat recipes became so great that she opened her own low fat bakery in Calgary, Alberta. With the great success of this bakery, Julie decided to share her low fat recipes with the world—in One Smart Cookie, among other cookbooks. Referred to as the “queen of the skinny sweet” and the “poster girl for low fat cooking,” Julie is in high demand for her knowledge and expertise. She has appeared on numerous television and radio shows, led many cooking demonstrations across North America, and regularly contributes to newspapers and magazines.

Julie Van Rosendaal's profile page