All new recipes from The Best of Bridge.

"It's been five years since we last published a new Best of Bridge cookbook. We decided it was time to retire, close the office and hang up our aprons -- which we did. But we kept on cooking, tasting and scribbling kitchen notes. In our "retirement," we have continued to expand our culinary repertoire through travel and sharing food with family and friends. We then met Sally Vaughan-Johnston, food writer, cooking professional and culinary whiz. Not only did she share our enthusiasm for retro recipes and new fangled foods, but she had the same irreverent sense of humor. And so it began, and here we are back with a brand-new volume of brand-new recipes."

The easy-to-use hardcover concealed wiro format is back by popular demand and contains more than 200 recipes that will be treasured for years to come, including:

• - Mulligatawny Soup
• Pulled Pork and Coleslaw on a Bun
• Chocolate Pecan Caramel Bars.

"Still, one thing hasn't changed. Our motto remains 'Simple recipes with gourmet results' and, as our loyal fans have come to expect, the recipes work and the one-liners will keep you smiling."

Sally Vaughan-Johnston is a professional chef, food writer and food stylist. This is her third collaboration with the ladies of Best of Bridge -- a stellar collection of recipes that will be treasured for years to come.

What is the Best of Bridge?

In 1975, at a weekend getaway, eight women friends had an idea: Since a consistent highlight of their decade-old bridge group was the food they prepared and enjoyed together, perhaps they should think about writing a cookbook. This spur-of- the-moment notion was the impetus for The Best of Bridge, which went on to become one of the most successful brands in Canadian publishing, with more than three million books sold.

Written in a welcoming style, the recipes are easy to execute, yet produce "gourmet" results. Their unique approach, which includes jokes to keep cooks smiling, has ensured a faithful following. The Best of Bridge recipes are staples at potlucks across the country, and the generation of children raised on them is now cooking for themselves. "We get lots of mail from people looking for specific books to give to their adult kids," the Ladies report. "They want to make dishes that were always served at family celebrations. Our recipes have become part of their domestic traditions."

As the Ladies would say, "You should have these books. We've tested, tasted and revised. We promise you'll love every recipe."

Sally Vaughan-Johnston's profile page

Those indefatigable cooks and card players from Calgary are back with a big, good-looking coilback and the same familiar look of hand-written recipes that are easy to make but give satisfying results. The original eight Ladies of the Best of Bridge, who started their publishing company in 1976 and have 10 earlier books, are down to six members but continue to try new recipes, many with international ingredients. Despite a new publisher, you still get their signature jokes tucked in among their recipes.

Favourite Cookbooks of 2009, Montreal Gazette