When I recently borrowed Cooking for Friends by David Wood, I received a shock. I remember the first David Wood cookbook I borrowed. Not his iconic Food Book but, unsurprisingly for those who know me or read my blog posts, The Dessert Book. I could even recall the cover, which featured an amazing-looking strawberry pie which I proceed to make and, yes, it tasted amazing too.

Seeing a new book by David Wood on the shelves, I just had to borrow it. The shock came when I realized it was 30 years (!!) since his Dessert Book was published which meant 30 years has passed since I made that bit of strawberry bliss! How is that possible when I’m barely over 30 myself? 😉 I even visited Wood’s gourmet food shop in Toronto once and treated myself to some decadent goodies.

Wood was born and raised in post-war Scotland where food was rationed and was viewed as something to fuel the body rather than rhapsodize over. As a young adult, Wood honed his cooking skills and his tastes became, like most people, more refined as he matured. Moving to Canada in 1973, he opened the first of three gourmet food shops 1984. A catering business and two cookbooks soon followed. In the 1990s, following some tough times including the closure of his shops, Wood left Toronto for the warmer climes of BC and in 1996 opened Salt Spring Island Cheese Company after “…six years of trial and error on the farm and in the kitchen.”

As Wood says in the Introduction to “Cooking for Friends” (which is worth reading, as is the forward), “…the best thing about food is that it brings us together with friends and family (who are also friends) – it eases conversations and opens our hearts and minds…” This cookbook is about creating delicious, satisfying and attractive food at home, without needing the skills of a professional chef.

I chose to make just one sweet (although the Pear and Ginger Galette will definitely be on the menu at my house at a future family get together), a starter and two mains. The dessert recipe I tried was Lemon Possets. The recipe contains just 3 ingredients but the result is a smooth, citrusy custard that is just divine. You can decorate the possets with a raspberry or two and some lemon zest or just eat as is. Wood’s Chicken Wonderful is, well, wonderful! He recommends serving it with salad and a baguette but we opted for a mixture of steamed broccoli and cauliflower. Easy and scrumptious. I could happily eat this once a week.

The Spicy Garlic Shrimp would be a wonderful starter but the night I made it we enjoyed the shrimp as a main, perched atop my own un-fried vegetable fried rice. My favourite of the four recipes tried though was the Tagliatelle with Salmon, Crème Fraiche and Chives. This dish looked and tasted amazing even though I substituted a mixture of sour cream and yogurt for the crème fraiche. Served with a glass of chilled Oyster Bay chardonnay from New Zealand it was a treat on a weeknight. Yes, easy enough to make at the end of the work day.

Cooking for Friends would be a wonderful addition to any collection. This Canadian cookbook features beautiful photos, an excellent selection of recipes and clear, concise directions. Two whisks up from me!

— Sandi H.

Tagliatelle with Salmon, Crème Fraiche and Chives

2 egg yolks
2 c. crème fraiche (or try a yogurt/sour cream substitute like I did!)
½ c grated Parmesan
¼ c chopped fresh chives
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tblsp chopping Italian parsley + some for garnish
12 oz boneless fresh salmon fillet
1 tsp salt
1 lb. fresh tagliatelle

In a small bowl beat together yolks, ½ c of the crème fraiche, Parmesan, chives, zest, pepper and parsley. Set aside.

In a pot big enough to hold the cooked, drained pasta, bring the remained 1 ½ c. crème fraiche to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer.

Carefully cut the salmon into 1/4” slices, then cut the slices across into strips, each about the size of 4 matchsticks tied together. Set aside.

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water. Drain when done, reserving 1 c of the cooking water.

Transfer the pasta to the large pot containing the warmed crème fraiche and stir to coat. Add in the egg yolk mixture and stir to combine. Use cooking liquid as need to prevent the pasta from drying out or the sauce from becoming too thick. Add salmon and stir very gently to avoid breaking up the fish. The heat from the pasta will cook the thin strips of salmon perfectly.

Note: I chose to bake the salmon whole and serve the tagliatelle on the side.