A selection of great cookbooks by some of Montréal’s best chefs

For the past few years, some of Montréal best chefs have been publishing outstanding cookbooks. To bring some of these delicious recipe books and some of these chefs’ cuisines home, below is a list of our favourites.

Montreal Cooks: A Tasting Menu from the City’s Leading Chefs

Jonathan Cheung and Tays Spencer

Bring home 80 recipes by 40 of Montréal’s best chefs. The recipes are written with the home cook in mind so they are not only delicious but also very accessible.

True North

Derek Dammann Chris Johns

Chef Derek Damman’s indisputable culinary talent shines through in this book that is an homage to this big country of ours and its unique products and food purveyors.

The Art of Living According to Joe Beef: A Cookbook of Sorts

David McMillan, Frederic Morin and Meredith Erickson

Although the recipes in this book are very interesting and illustrate well chefs Fred Morin and David McMillan’s unique interpretation of French cuisine, they play second fiddle to the stories told. The chefs passion for food and for Montréal is palpable and is absolutely contagious!

Toqué! Creators of a new Quebec gastronomy

Normand Laprise

Sure, this book has beautiful recipes and wonderful photos but it’s so much more than that. It takes the reader on a voyage from the Toqué! kitchen in Old Montréal to the fields, forests, lakes and shores across Quebec to meet the purveyors that have always been at the forefront of chef Laprise’s cuisine.

Au Pied de Cochon Sugar Shack

Martin Picard

The recipient of the Best Book of the Year at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in 2012, this book dedicated to maple syrup is as unconventional, unique, inspiring and encyclopedic in its depiction of Quebec’s traditional culinary heritage as its author, chef Martin Picard.

In the kitchen with Stefano Faita

Stefano Faita

The celebrity and TV star chef shares his passion for cooking simple food from scratch in this book that covers recipes from appetizers to dessert. The book is inspired by the chef’s eponymous TV show and features some his favourite recipes from the show.

Garde Manger / Chuck’s Day Off

Chuck Hughes

Both these books are by celebrity chef and TV star Chuck Hughes. Garde Manger features vibrant, easy and fun recipes packed with flavours from his Old Montréal restaurant by the same name. Chuck’s Day Off features 100 recipes inspired by his eponymous TV show, as well as new ones created for the book. Chuck’s recipes–just like his personality–are big and pack a punch.

Ricardo’s Slow Cooker Favourites: From Lasagna to Creme Brulee

Ricardo Larrivée

Even though Ricardo Larrivée is not officially a chef per say, we believe that his contribution to the Quebec culinary stage warrants him a spot on this list. This particular cookbook puts the spotlight on cooking anything, from appetizers to dessert, using a slow cooker.

Up next: Montréal restaurants shine on Canada’s 100 Best for 2016