“I tell you not to worry because I’ve done all the worrying for you!”

Bonnie Stern, beloved teacher and bestselling cookbook author, wants nothing more than for you to feel like she’s in the kitchen cooking beside you.

In her latest cookbook, Don’t Worry, Just Cook, written with her daughter Anna Rupert (who has, in fact, been in the kitchen cooking beside her mother her whole life!), Stern and Rupert are here to help cooks of all experience foster comfort and connection through food.

With her trademark encouraging style and attention to detail, Stern writes recipes that are consistently delicious, widely appealing, and, as always, timeless. Like all of her cookbooks, Don’t Worry, Just Cook doesn’t simply give instructions to create a dish, it also shares stories, lessons, and kitchen wisdom that will build your cooking technique and confidence in the kitchen.

In this new book, you’ll find easy-to-follow recipes for all-day breakfasts, soups, starters, and side dishes, as well as breads and vegetarian, fish, and meat mains. And, for those wanting something sweet, Stern and Rupert have included plenty of desserts! You’ll be amazed by how quickly such special dishes like Jeweled Roasted Salmon with Herbs and Sheet Pan Chicken with Lemon and Olives come together. The simplicity and beauty of dishes like Ja’ala Herb Salad with Lemon Honey Dressing and Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Tahini and Z’hug will impress even the cook! And the desserts, like the Pavlova Cake with Lemon Curd and Berries, Stern’s Rugelach, and S’mores Chocolate Bark have never been so fun or delicious.

Stern and Rupert have also provided notes and variations to help you modify dishes for special diets, and have sprinkled in essays on topics that will resonate with all of us, from things not worth worrying about, to a love of leftovers and what to do with them. Their warm voices and subtle humour come through on every page. With 125 enjoyable and thoughtful recipes, and stunning photography, home cooks will turn to this instant classic time and time again to nourish themselves and the people they love.

GET THE BOOK

Owl’s Nest Books (Calgary) | Calgary Public Library