Whitewater Cook, Shelley Adams on Cooking with Friends

If you’re looking for a great cookbook, Shelley Adams has three. All of which are chock-full of simple, delicious, family-friendly meals. Her most recent release, Whitewater Cooks with Friends is no exception. Its appeal might have something to do with the fact that Shelley actually returned from retirement to publish this book, saying she just couldn’t help herself: “I just had so many great recipes I wanted to share.” That’s the beauty of Adams’ books; they really are filled with the types of delicious, beloved recipes that you just want to tell people about. Here we reach Shelley at her home in the Kootenays to catch up and talk about food.

BT: Tell us about your new cookbook, Whitewater Cooks with Friends

SA: This book is filled with delicious, easy, healthy recipes, suitable for people with busy lifestyles that love to eat. The one thing that makes it different from the other books I have is that there are 30 recipes from my friends who are also amazing cooks. Many are friends I’ve met along the way in the worlds of cooking, catering, and restaurant-ing. Oh, and due to popular demand, almost every recipe has a full page photo.   

BT: We love that! What motivated you to write this latest book & how does it differ from your previous books?

SA: Well, it’s not that different in the sense that my philosophy is just sharing recipes I love and use with the people out there! This book is filled with things I think people would love to make. It’s filled with usable, delicious recipes, that have been tested over and over again. What motivated me to write it is people begging me for recipes. Naturally, I want to share my recipes and find the whole process of authoring a cookbook completely fun!

BT: Of your three cookbooks, which one is your favourite?

SA: This one definitely!

BT: We've noticed a trend around "Cooking at Home" in the culinary world, with many books coming out in this vein. You were ahead of the curve having published Whitewater Cooks at Home a couple years ago. Why do you think there’s such an appetite for “at home” books?

SA: It’s inspiring for people to realize they can make amazing meals in their own homes, the same meals that the celebrity chefs are making! I think it’s really motivating for people.

BT: Last time we spoke, you told us your philosophy is to keep food simple but yummy. Has your style changed over the past two years?

SA: It’s still simple and delicious but maybe a tiny bit healthier. I’ve noticed people are much more conscientious about what they eat, so I tried to keep things light and simple and easy. A few vegan recipes, a little less meat and more light options.

BT: Lets reminisce for a moment! Can you tell us how you used to give your kids a role in the kitchen when they were young kids?

SA: I would get them involved in table setting and dishwashing and often things like spinning the lettuce for the salad, putting broccoli in the steamer. Simple things. On weekends and holidays we did lots of baking and bread-making and cinnamon bun-making. It’s because of all the dining we’ve done together they are carrying on being healthy eaters later in life.

Thanks Shelley, for taking the time to chat with us! We leave you with this delightful recipe from Adam’s new book: Pork Tenderloin Saltimboca Roasted on a Bed of Braised Apples. Who’s trying this?