A few weeks ago, my stepdaughter, who had always been in love with books, told me she didn't like books anymore. Anyone even half awake would realize this is just peer pressure, because a child doesn't go from being an avid bookworm to hating all books overnight, but it crushed my book-loving soul anyway and I had to find a way to prove to her that she really did still like books. So, we took her to the library, much to her dismay. Just as I suspected, the moment we entered the door she'd found a book and was so deeply immersed into it that she didn't even hear us when we told her it was time to go. That time, it was easy, but it got me thinking about the inevitability of it happening again, with her or with my son. I'm a pretty laid back Mom, but giving up a love of books is not an option in my house. So, I've thought about how to make sure the kids keep loving the printed word and the best way, I think, is to act them out! And what better way to start this, than with Dr. Seuss' timeless classic, Green Eggs and Ham? Saturday is green eggs and ham day at our house, and here are some fantastic recipes:

- Two green eggs and ham recipes at Seussville.com
- For Mommies and Daddies with pesto and prosciutto: Green Eggs and Parma Ham
- Mouthwatering spinach and ham and parmesan stuffed eggs: Green Eggs and Ham

eggs, books, dr. seuss, recipe, cooking, chef, food, kids

B Is for Beer is a children's book for grown-ups or a grown-up's book for children, depending on which side of the amazing cover you read first. It is a short, hardcover prize of a book written by my favorite fiction author, and Seattle's most insane man, Tom Robbins. Most of you would probably be more familiar with his novels Another Roadside Attraction or Skinny Legs and All. I once sat in the studio audience of an awful show just to be in the same room as Mr. Robbins while he was being interviewed. I guarantee, his books are like nothing you've ever read, and B is for Beer is no different. It starts out:

"Have you ever wondered why your Daddy likes beer so much? Have you wondered, before you fall asleep at night, why he sometimes acts kind of "funny" after he's been drinking beer? Maybe you've even wondered where beer comes from, because your pretty sure it doesn't come from a cow. Well, Gracie Perkel wondered those same things."

What follows is a goofy story, ripe with real-life scenarios, facts about beer, your regular, everyday nonsense from the wonderful Mr. Robbins and a thirst for something bubbly made of hops like you've never experienced before. This book, in fact, had me thinking beer for weeks. Which I suppose is normal being as I am Canadian. Here are some of my out of the ordinary ways to enjoy a fresh beer:

Chelada: A friend of mine from Guadalajara introduced me to these delicious drinks. It's basically just a beer over ice with fresh squeezed lime juice and salt. It is definitely not for everyone, but if you love citrus like I do, it's to die for. Plus, it makes your beer a little less filling. The Chelada is actually a tamed down version of the Michelada, which includes hot sauce.

The Beer-Can Chicken: My favorite way to prepare this, is to marinade a whole chicken overnight in either whiskey or beer and a bit of olive oil, then dust with fresh herbs, insert a half-full beer can into the chicken cavity, stand it upright on a drip tray on one side of your barbecue and put the heat on medium on the other side. Toss a wood chip pack on the heat and close the lid. Let the chicken slow roast and steam from the inside out, until the skin is golden-brown and the juices run clear. Let it rest under foil for 20 minutes, then enjoy with a Sleemans Honey Brown.

In tomato sauce: Take your regular, every day, tomato marinara and dump in half a can of your favorite beer. Capers like hanging out in there as well. Great on gnocchi or sopped up with Italian bread.

Use a tiny bit of Guinness to deglaze in a stir-fry: with it's slight soy sauce undertones, the flavors of a thick, rich Guinness are spectacular in stir-fry.

In Bread: Add beer to your favorite bread recipe. Dip it in your beer marinara.

Of course there are your regular beer recipes, like beer in stew and beer in chili, but how about some of these strange beer recipes:

- Beer Ice Cream
- Beeramisu: a Twist on Tiramisu
- Banana Slices in Beer
- Pale Ale Biscuits with Cheddar and Chives

Also, check out Stephanie's informative look at eating beer: Beer Me!

Be sure to get your copy of B is for Beer and, if you don't become an instant Tom Robbins fan, at least drink like one!

beer, b is for beer, tom robbins, another roadside attraction, skinny legs and all, cooking, recipe, chef, books, tiramisu, chelada, michelada

My love for cooking began with simple curiosity. Starting when I was about eight years old, I’d rush home after school to watch my favourite show on CBC: The Urban Peasant. It was a cooking show that starred James Barber, an engineer turned food critic turned cookbook writer. His recipes were incredible. They were simple, yet elegant – he took classic dishes and turned them into fusion genius, perfect for entertaining. He made it possible for anyone to learn how to cook, and inspired those who already could.

Though Barber passed away in 2007, his legacy lives on, and is as strong as ever. There is a new website dedicated to James, named after his show, The Urban Peasant. The site features recipes (though this part of the site isn’t up yet), memories of James, episodes of his show, and a list of his cookbooks. My favourites are the two cookbooks that began it all for me: Quick and Simple, and Peasant’s Choice.

Other books of his include:

One of the world's great masterpieces, and in my mind, the most perfectly written novel of all time, Moby Dick by Herman Melville has everything. It has a beautiful plot, brilliant character development, spectacular scene setting, and best of all, clam chowder.

Chances are, even if you've never read the book, you know it opens with "Call me Ishmael" introducing the narrator. He's soon confronted with a humorously awkward situation, in an inn in icy Nantucket, when the only room available is one which must be shared, bed and all, with a cannibal named Queequeg from some far off land. Melville does a flawless job of setting the scene in Nantucket, making you not just understand how cold it is, but causing you to feel a chill as you read. Enter the clam chowder. But the author doesn't just sit our friends down to a bowl of chowder, Melville goes further, and devotes an entire chapter of Moby Dick to New England clam chowder:

"A warm savory steam from the kitchen served to belie the apparently cheerless prospect before us. But when that smoking chowder came in, the mystery was delightfully explained. Oh! sweet friends, hearken to me. It was made of small juicy clams, scarcely bigger than hazel nuts, mixed with pounded ship biscuits, and salted pork cut up into little flakes! the whole enriched with butter, and plentifully seasoned with pepper and salt. Our appetites being sharpened by the frosty voyage, and in particular, Queequeg seeing his favourite fishing food before him, and the chowder being surpassingly excellent, we despatched it with great expedition: when leaning back a moment and bethinking me of Mrs. Hussey's clam and cod announcement, I thought I would try a little experiment. Stepping to the kitchen door, I uttered the word "cod" with great emphasis, and resumed my seat. In a few moments the savoury steam came forth again, but with a different flavor, and in good time a fine cod-chowder was placed before us." -Herman Melville, Moby Dick

Some books can make you crave foods, some books can make you miss foods, and some books can make you remember food, but Moby Dick makes you taste clam chowder.

There are two best chowders I've ever had, one was at my Dad's restaurant in Steveston, BC and one was served in a real San Francisco sourdough bread bowl at Boudin Bakery in Ghirardelli Square, San Francisco. I've yet to visit New England, so I doub't I've had the very best, but here's a ridiculously great sounding recipe: The Cliff House Clam Chowder Since 1872

Make yourself this recipe and then go curl up with the book:

Pound-Cake Tiramisu

Baked Eggs and Tortillas in Creamy Tomato Sauce

Roasted Tomato Pasta with Basil

Trust me, there are a ton of amazing recipes in this magazine, which is why I buy them each month and keep them for future reference! It's like an amazing, tiny cookbook for $4.50. What more could a girl ask for?

Don't get me wrong - I still go online for recipes. Quite regularly. Sometimes you're just searching for something, and whatever that may be might not be always readily available in a book.

So what's your preference... real book or MacBook?

Sure, some of the beauty of going to a restaurant is the fact that you're going out, and someone else is cooking for you. But sometimes, there are circumstances that may stop you from going out for a meal; whether it's your budget, lack of time, or family obligations, it's not always convenient to go out.

But there's always one option - cook restaurant food at home. You can do this by simply being inspired by your favourite meals, or you can get the recipes right from the chef.

Want a fantastic book of mouthwatering restaurant recipes? Check out A Taste of the Canadian Rockies Cookbook by Myriam Leighton and Chip Olver.

This book contains recipes from some of the best restaurants in the Rockies. Here's a taste of the goodies you'll find...

Winter Squash Soup with Scallops from the Rimrock Resort Hotel, Banff
Grilled Belgian Endive Salad with Scallops and Roasted Tomato and Garlic Dressing from the Banff Springs Hotel, Banff
Pear William Fondue from Chateau Lake Louise, Lake Louise
Hearty Moussaka from Balkan, the Greek Restaurant, Banff