Book Review: Whitewater Cooks with Friends

Shelley Adams, the former owner of the Fresh Tracks Café at Nelson’s Whitewater ski resort and author of national best-selling cookbooks, “Whitewater Cooks” and “Whitewater Cooks at Home,” has ventured out of retirement because of a reminder of her own motto from her daughter and close friend that “great recipes are meant to be shared.”

In “Whitewater Cooks with Friends”, Shelley has rounded up the best of her friend’s recipes and put them together in the award-winning formula of the Whitewater Cookbook series -beautiful photographs, divided this time into starters, soups, salads, entrees and desserts with recipes that are easy to use and produce delicious food. While hearty soups such as rich marsala oxtail soup with mustard thyme cream and comfort dishes like pulled pork enchiladas will get you through the winter, “Whitewater Cooks with Friends” is definitely one to bring out in the summer too, as many of the recipes and photos inspire food served outdoors or at the cottage.

As with all of the Whitewater Cookbooks, the easy-to-make recipes take on gourmet flair and are elevated to new heights for home chefs through a twist or unique combination of ingredients. For example, a simple spiced pear and stilton tart takes on mustard cream, grilled asparagus wraps are served with creama di balsamico, ancient grains and edamame are accompanied with smoked paprika vinaigrette and pescado blanco fish tacos have both chipotle crema and orange avocado salsa. Fans familiar with the addictive Glory bowl dressing find it here with crispy panko tofu and baby spinach. With each recipe, Shelley offers personal insight, tips and insider information that make the reader feel like a friend and confidant. Recipes like Michele’s chicken charmoula reveal her single life in Paris, Orchard Lime Salad the Kootenay moms’ outdoor hiking group, and accidents happen – Banana chocolate icebox cake-“An overnight stint in the fridge turns this into a delectable summer picnic cake which travels well by boat. And if by mistake, the dog steps on it, it’s quite easy to smooth over the paw print and garnish with another pansy!’ Some recipes even provide encouragement as with Shelley Sorensen’s mom’s cheesecake – “Shelley’s mom Anita, a long time caterer, made this succulent vanilla cheesecake countless times. We guarantee that you can produce this perfect dessert.”

Carnivores will find enough recipes to satisfy including gussy’s ribs, cashew lamb riblets and beef tenderloin, and vegetarians will delight in new recipes such as lizzie’s kids broccoli salad, tana’s tomato and lentil bisque, roasted garlic rosemary potato, artichoke and feta pizza and treeplanters eatmore bars. Fans of the series will find themselves again working through the pages of this cookbook, returning again and again for the trusted and straight-forward recipes. Thanks to talented friends, third time’s a charm for Shelley Adams.

Whitewater Cooks with Friends

Paperback. Price: $34.95

2011, Alicon Holdings Ltd

160 pages