James Barber (author)
| James Barber | |
|---|---|
| Born | 23 March 1923 Dover, Kent, England, U.K. |
| Died | 29 November 2007 (age 84) Cowichan Valley, British Columbia, Canada |
| Occupation | TV presenter, chef, writer |
| Notable credit(s) | The Urban Peasant (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) |
James Barber (March 23, 1923 – November 29, 2007) was an English-born Canadian cookbook author and host of The Urban Peasant, a CBC cooking show.
Barber worked as an engineer before becoming a food critic for The Province. He immigrated to Canada in 1952. His lifelong interest in food and writing and his increased knowledge in these areas naturally led him to become a cookbook author. Following his retirement, he spent his remaining years on his farm in British Columbia's Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. An energetic and passionate man with a large personality, Barber strove to empower others to do things for themselves.
Barber was married twice and fathered five children; 3 sons and 2 daughters. Perhaps fittingly, Barber died peacefully on November 29, 2007, at his farm of natural causes while sitting at the dining room table reading a cookbook with a pot of chicken soup simmering on the stove.[1] He was 84 years old and is survived by his wife and five children.
TV appearances
- The Fry Pan Man, host
- The Dini Petty Show, frequent appearances
- The Urban Peasant, host
Newspapers and magazines
- National Post, occasionally
- Pacific Yachting
- Vancouver Magazine
- The Vancouver Sun
Books
- Ginger Tea Makes Friends (Illustrated) (January 1977 ISBN 0-88894-169-2)
- Fear of Frying (1978 Douglas & McIntyre ISBN 0-88894-281-8)
- Ginger Tea Makes Friends (July 1982 Madrona Publishing ISBN 0-88894-148-X)
- Flash in the Pan (July 1982 Douglas & McIntyre Ltd ISBN 0-88894-331-8)
- James Barber Mushrooms Are Marvellous (1984 Douglas & McIntyre Ltd.; First edition ISBN 0-88894-444-6)
- James Barber's Personal Guide to the Best Eating in Vancouver (October 1985 North Country Book Express ISBN 0-932722-10-5)
- James Barber's Immodest but Honest Good Eating Cookbook (October 1986 Solstice Press ISBN 0-932722-12-1)
- Urban Peasant (April 1991 Raincoast Book Dist Ltd ISBN 0-9694144-0-4)
- Urban Peasant Quick & Simple Cookbook (June 16, 1993 Urban Peasant Productions ISBN 0-9697123-0-8)
- The Urban Peasant: Recipes from the Popular Television Cooking Series (September 25, 1994 Hasting House Publishing ISBN 0-8038-9370-1)
- Peasant's Choice (October 1, 1994 Urban Peasant Productions ISBN 0-9698398-2-0)
- Peasant's Choice: More of the Best from the Urban Peasant Recipes from the Popular Television Cooking Series (March 1995 Hasting House Publishing ISBN 0-8038-9370-1)
- Peasant's Alphabet: More of the best from the Urban Peasant (September 30, 1997 Urban Peasant Productions ISBN 0-9698398-4-7)
- Cooking for Two: The Urban Peasant (January 1999 Macmillan Press ISBN 0-7715-7634-X)
- Ginger Tea Makes Friends (August 2000 Raincoast Book Dist Ltd ISBN 1-55192-284-3)[2]
- Flash in the Pan (August 2000 Raincoast Book Dist Ltd ISBN 1-55192-312-2)[3]
- Fear of Frying (August 2000 Raincoast Book Dist Ltd ISBN 1-55192-310-6)[4]
- Chef's Salad: Greens, Vegetables, Pasta, Bean, Seafood, Potato (April 1, 2003 ISBN 1-55285-419-1) James Barber (foreword)
- One-Pot Wonders: James Barber Recipes for Land and Sea (July 10, 2006 Harbor ISBN 1-55017-378-2)
