Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
from the Owners and Staff at Chat Noir Books.
Wishing everyone a Happy New Years!

Gift idea for that Hard to buy person!

Stuck trying to find that last minute gift, or maybe something for that person that is hard to buy for? How about The 500 Best-Value Wines in the LCBO along with a LCBO gift card?

The 500 Best-Value Wines in the LCBO: With Over 150 New Wines
by Rod Phillips

Rod Phillips has spent another year tasting and rating the wines on the shelves of the LCBO. Now in its fourth edition, The 500 Best-Value Wines in the LCBO is a proven seller.

The book rates wines on a five-star scale, provides concise, no-nonsense descriptions, and suggests food pairings for each wine. And there is space to add your own notes after you’ve tried Rod’s suggestions. And this year, Rod has expanded the section devoted to the best-value sparkling wines available.

No wine consumer in the LCBO will want to head to the store without this definitive guide. Take advantage of the good- to great-value wines available at reasonable prices, and try something new if you tend to buy the same wine time after time. With updated information and new reviews carefully researched, this book is the most comprehensive LCBO wine guide there is. Bottoms up!

A Clean Beating by Nico Rogers

How about a Cookbook for Christmas

Not sure what to get that special person. Why not a cookbook! The gift that keeps on giving even after the Holidays!

Below you will find a few of Jenn and mine favourite cookbooks that we use all year long and a few that we thought were just pretty cool!

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The Big Cook
by Deanna Siemens | Joanne Thomas | Joanne Smith

Have fun with friends and fill your freezer with delicious, nutritious main-course meals!

What to have for supper is no longer a crisis!

- Do you find yourself running from work to your children's sports events or music lessons? Do you frequently have to eat out or grab take-out because you don't have time to shop or prepare supper?

- Imagine coming home from work or your busy day to find a hot, home-cooked meal ready to sit down and eat.

- What if you only had to prepare meals one day every 3 months?

- What if you could go to your freezer and pull out a delicious and nutritious meal that needs only to be cooked? All the preparation is done!

The recipes included are all tried, tested and tasted(kid-approved) and include 73 beef, chicken and pork recipes.

Whether you are single or married; preparing meals for your family, your child in college or your elderly parent; or a working or stay-at-home parent, this book is for you!

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Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking
by Jeff Hertzberg MD | Zoe Francois | Mark Luinenburg

There’s nothing like the smell of freshly baked bread to fill a kitchen with warmth, eager appetites, and endless praise for the baker who took on such a time-consuming task. Now, you can fill your kitchen with the irresistible aromas of a French bakery every day with just five minutes of active preparation time, and Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day will show you how.

Coauthors Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François prove that bread baking can be easier than a trip to the bakery. Their method is quick and simple, bringing forth scrumptious perfection in each loaf. Delectable creations will emerge straight from your own oven as warm, indulgent masterpieces that you can finally make for yourself. In exchange for a mere five minutes of your time, your breads will rival those of the finest bakers in the world.

With nearly 100 recipes to put this ingenious technique to use, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day will open the eyes of any potential baker who has sworn off homemade bread as simply too much work. Crusty baguettes, mouth-watering pizzas, hearty sandwich loaves, and even buttery pastries can easily become part of your own personal menu, and this innovative book will teach you everything you need to know.

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300 Slow Cooker Favorites
by Donna-Marie Pye

A stellar collection of easy and delicious slow cooker recipes.

Slow cookers provide the perfect mealtime solution for tasty and nutritious food with a minimum of effort. Just a few ingredients in the slow cooker and a flick of the switch can produce a hot, satisfying home-cooked meal that's ready to serve at dinnertime.

300 Slow Cooker Favorites features easy, imaginative and delicious recipes such as:

- Sumptuous soups: potato leek soup with Stilton; meaty minestrone; roasted red pepper
- New chili dishes: football Sunday chili; party pleas'n chili; adobe pork and bean chili
- Satisfying mains: rosemary and garlic leg of lamb; gooey glazed beef ribs; coq au yin
- Sweet endings: very adult rice pudding; upside-down fudge brownie pudding; plum cobbler.

Also included are tips and techniques that guarantee slow cooker success. "Night before" advice features handy and time-saving tips.

From classic comfort foods to contemporary dishes, there's a new family-favorite waiting to be discovered by anyone using a slow cooker.

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Bake until Bubbly: The Ultimate Casserole Cookbook
by Clifford A Wright

"Everybody who grew up on tuna noodle casserole or macaroni and cheese remembers that bubbling dish brought to the table with its top dappled golden brown, piping hot and inviting. My passion for casseroles was born from memories of my childhood and my mother's lasagna, thick and rich and gooey and delicious. But once I had three children of my own, casseroles were the solution to many frenzied nights. We all loved the simplicity, ease, and satisfaction of a well-baked casserole. One of my favorite dessert casseroles was the Pear Crisp my kids and I made in late August when our pear tree was groaning from the weight of those luscious orbs ripening. We'd cut them up and arrange them in a casserole with cinnamon and then blanket them with a streusel made of flour, butter, and sugar before baking until bubbly. Hey, what a great name for a book!"
--from Bake until Bubbly

Advance Praise

"Bake until Bubbly . . . the name says it all. Visions of creamy, tender casseroles with crusty, crunchy tops immediately come to mind and Clifford Wright's book delivers. You will find easy-to-make one-dish recipes like the rustic but elegant Veal Saltimbocca and Cassoulet and comfort food such as Blue Cheese Halibut Bake; Sausage, Red Bean, and Apple Casserole; Cranberry-Apple-Walnut Crisp; and Blackberry and Cream Cheese Cr?pes Casserole. I love the fact that you can find everything from breakfast casseroles to vegetarian options to desserts. The Potato, Bacon, and Gruyere Casserole is coming to my next potluck."
--Dede Wilson, Contributing Editor to Bon Appetit magazine and public television host

"Just when I thought there was little left to be exploited in casserole cookery, Clifford Wright comes up with an herby tamale pie with cornmeal mush, an Irish rutabaga pudding, a baked rigatoni with meatballs, a nectarine and almond dessert casserole, and numerous other fascinating dishes guaranteed to add new and exciting dimension to this succulent style of cooking."
--James Villas, author of Crazy for Casseroles and The Glory of Southern Cooking

Clifford A. Wright is the author of ten cookbooks, including Little Foods of the Mediterranean, Some Like It Hot, Real Stew, and A Mediterranean Feast, which won the 2000 James Beard/Kitchen Aid Cookbook of the Year Award as well as the James Beard Award for Best Writing on Food. He writes regularly for the major food periodicals, teaches cooking classes across the country, and lectures frequently on Mediterranean food. Visit his Web site at www.cliffordawright.com.



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Five Roses: A Guide to Good Cooking
by Elizabeth Driver

From Whitecap`s best-selling Classic Canadian Cookbooks come two must-haves for your vintage cookbook collection. The 1915 edition of the ROBIN HOOD COOK BOOK is one of North America`s oldest cookbooks from a trusted name in many kitchens. The 1967 Centennial Edition of the classic FIVE ROSES GUIDE TO GOOD COOKING has become an indispensable guide in the kitchen. Both books feature an introduction by culinary historian Elizabeth Driver.

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Farmers' Market Desserts
by Jennie Schact | Leo Gong

The number of U.S. farmers' markets has grown by 20% over the past three years to nearly 5,300 nationwide. This collection of tempting desserts inspired by those markets and the farmers who share their produce there satisfies the sustainable shopper's sweet tooth with more than 50 recipes for tarts, crisps, cupcakes, puddings, and more. Discover classics like Deep Dish Sour Cherry Pie and new interpretations like Tangerine-sicle Ice Cream. Featuring seasonality charts, 'farmer journal' tips, and dazzling color photography to teach and inspire, Farmers' Market Desserts is the perfect gift for bakers, lovers of local produce, and all who share in the delights of the farmers' market.

The Drowned by Nico Rogers

Television: First Look at BBC's Dirk Gently

Douglas Adams fans are in for a treat as the BBC has just released the first look at BBC's Dirk Gently TV series based off of Douglas Adams book Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency:

There is a long tradition of Great Detectives, and Dirk Gently does not belong to it. But his search for a missing cat uncovers a ghost, a time traveler, AND the devastating secret of humankind! Detective Gently`s bill for saving the human race from extinction: NO CHARGE.

BBC Four released a trailer for the upcoming series Dirk Gently, based on two novels by the late Douglas Adams--Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul. Blastr observed that BBC Four "bills the show as a 'drama,' but if it uses any of its source material, it should contain plenty of light British wit, ghosts and the poetry of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. It may even involve the creation of all life on Earth."

--Shelf Awareness

Fatty Me Mommy by Nico Rogers

Check out the great video of Nico Rogers reading from his new book "The Fetch". Music by Mark Bradford and Dave Paterson.



Filmed at Chat Noir Books
Video by Good Gauley Productions!