Bringing people together over wonderful food is John Bishop's great joy. It's true of Bishop's, his creation and Vancouver's premier fine restaurant, and it's true of his home, where two busy parents and two energetic kids gravitate to a kitchen that's always humming.

From John's kitchen come quick, simple dishes flavoured with the future and the past, the backyard and the next continent over. A spoonful of Sweet Corn Relish charms some Roasted Halibut, a risotto of Black Thai Rice sets off Prawns with Ginger, Rosemary Dumplings complement a Lamb Stew. Horseradish Sauce adds a piquancy to Roasted Winter Vegetables.

For less demanding palates, there are comfort foods from Bishop's homeland and beyond: Welsh Cakes, Creamed Spinach, Spring Rolls with Hoisin Sauce, Empanadas.

And whether it's comforting or contemporary, everything is simply done right.

John Bishop's love for cooking began when he was a child growing up in Newton Powys, Wales. Starting out by helping in his mother's kitchen to eventually as a young man learning the formal requirements of traditional French food preparation at a hotel school. After working as a chef in Great Britain, Bishop moved to Vancouver in 1973. At the urging of friends and investors during the recession of 1985, John opened Bishop's. Since then, Bishop's has consistently been one of the city's top restaurants. Annually the restaurant receives top grades from local as well as all the respected North American guides.

Bishop has authored four cookbooks with Douglas & McIntyre: Bishop's, Cooking at My House, Fresh and Simply Bishop's.

John Bishop's profile page

• Winner, Cuisine Canada's Bronze Award for Best English-Language Cookbook

"John Bishop's recipes are sophisticated but easy to make...A friendly, warm book."

Globe & Mail