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The Urban Peasant: More Than a Cookbook
Quick & Simple Cookbook
128 pages, Paperback
First published June 16, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 4, 2016
This cookbook is bizarre.
James Barber (a.k.a. "The Urban Peasant") was a surrogate grandfather for an entire generation of Canadians, via his cooking show that aired on CBC during weekday afternoons. I distinctly recall coming home after school and catching an episode here or there and being amused by Barber's wizened, homespun demeanor as he made simple dishes using everyday ingredients and simple techniques.
That attitude comes across in the "Quick & Simple Cookbook", which was released in 1993 just after the debut of the television show. It is an absolutely strange book to read in retrospect, because it's the furthest thing from a cookbook and peppered (no pun intended) with lots of strange anecdotes and instructions.
After an introduction by Barber that likens cooking to seduction and smoking (uh?), the book launches into a rapid-fire series of dishes, separated only be general category. You'll find everything from three different recipes for aioli to British-centric desserts and main dishes. It's a cultural mishmash of recipes, only amplified by the fact that there are very few instructions for any of these and a layout that makes it look like Barber literally transcribed a stack of notes into a single book.
Even more bizarre, there are lots of little asides throughout the book that just come off as confusing or just plain wrong in retrospect. One recipe (for a whiskey-infused sauce) mentions that using rye will cause your kilt to become irreparably stained. Another suggests stuffing a quarter or dime into a Southern-inspired peas-and-onion dish. It is exactly the kind of material that would never fly in a cookbook made in the modern age, and yet, that gives it a weird sort of fascinating edge.
The book perfectly exemplifies Barber's penchant for using simple ingredients and basic cooking techniques, but the lack of instruction and bizarre anecdotes can make it offputting to modern audiences. The only reason I'd suggest picking this up is if you want a "cooking time capsule" from 1993 that exemplifies the attitude of a quirky, Canadian chef.
James Barber (a.k.a. "The Urban Peasant") was a surrogate grandfather for an entire generation of Canadians, via his cooking show that aired on CBC during weekday afternoons. I distinctly recall coming home after school and catching an episode here or there and being amused by Barber's wizened, homespun demeanor as he made simple dishes using everyday ingredients and simple techniques.
That attitude comes across in the "Quick & Simple Cookbook", which was released in 1993 just after the debut of the television show. It is an absolutely strange book to read in retrospect, because it's the furthest thing from a cookbook and peppered (no pun intended) with lots of strange anecdotes and instructions.
After an introduction by Barber that likens cooking to seduction and smoking (uh?), the book launches into a rapid-fire series of dishes, separated only be general category. You'll find everything from three different recipes for aioli to British-centric desserts and main dishes. It's a cultural mishmash of recipes, only amplified by the fact that there are very few instructions for any of these and a layout that makes it look like Barber literally transcribed a stack of notes into a single book.
Even more bizarre, there are lots of little asides throughout the book that just come off as confusing or just plain wrong in retrospect. One recipe (for a whiskey-infused sauce) mentions that using rye will cause your kilt to become irreparably stained. Another suggests stuffing a quarter or dime into a Southern-inspired peas-and-onion dish. It is exactly the kind of material that would never fly in a cookbook made in the modern age, and yet, that gives it a weird sort of fascinating edge.
The book perfectly exemplifies Barber's penchant for using simple ingredients and basic cooking techniques, but the lack of instruction and bizarre anecdotes can make it offputting to modern audiences. The only reason I'd suggest picking this up is if you want a "cooking time capsule" from 1993 that exemplifies the attitude of a quirky, Canadian chef.
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December 1, 2016A gift for my best friend when he rented his first apartment. It's still on our cookbook shelf.
October 1, 2018
I love James Barber's practical, simple approach to cooking. I reread this book often as I love the anecdotes; and I use it all the time in my own cooking. Thanks James, you did a great job of teaching us.
September 21, 2019
A practical, common-sense cookbook using ingredients that everyone has on hand or can get easily. James Barber shows how to adapt recipes, replace ingredients, and stop worrying. He cuts through the gourmet b******t and celebrates home-cooking. "food is to eat, not to be photographed"
December 8, 2024
1993, dang
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews