We always knew James Barber played an important role in freeing us from our culinary hang-ups but it wasn't until he passed away in 2007 that a truly astonishing outpouring of tributes from famous chefs and ordinary cooks alike made clear the full extent of his impact. For James didn't just want to make us better cooks; he wanted to help us live better lives by getting intimate with the cooking side of ourselves. And if getting intimate with food led to other intimacies, so much the better! His approach to cooking was revolutionary in its simplicity and stands at the opposite end of the spectrum from the elitist "great chef" approach that makes most people feel they could never succeed in the kitchen. James loved one-pot cooking, using whatever was left on the shelf and still making a memorable feast. In this book some of his most distinguished fans get together to collect James' greatest recipes, from Ginger Tea to Indonesian Fish, and talk about what his art meant to them.

James Barber (1923-2007) was best recognized as the host of the internationally acclaimed TV series The Urban Peasant. His best-selling books include One-Pot Wonders, Peasant's Alphabet Peasant's Choice and Cooking for Two. He was a regular contributor to a wide range of publications including Pacific Yachting, the Globe & Mail, Western Living, the Georgia Straight and the Vancouver Province. Barber died at the age of 84 on November 27, 2007 at his home in Duncan BC.

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"[Barber] shared with his many fans his surprise that food preparation had been hidden behind a wall of jargon and false expertise"
- Tom Hawthorn, The Globe and Mail

James Barber's profile page