Rose Murray

In going through some old emails, I discovered this one from Elizabeth Hay of CBC after I had appeared on a Radio Noon Phone-in program in which we had discussed my recipe for Turtle Brownies in 2001. This is what a listener (Jill) from Oakville wrote Elizabeth: “I thought you might like to consider adding a warning to Rose Murray’s Turtle Brownie recipe. After hearing your interview and recommendation on the radio October 29th, I made a note to get the recipe from your website and make it for a women’s weekend that I was going to that week. Well, they proved so popular that a competition to see who could get the last brownie ensued, involving a high speed car chase, threats of bodily injury, spilled wine and broken wine glasses. It was decided that I should not bring the brownies next weekend away but that I should pass the recipe along so that everyone could make their own batch and no sharing would be necessary. Thanks, I’ll be sure to buy the book.”
The recipe had proven so popular that I included it in my 2012 publication Canada’s Favourite Recipes co-authored with Elizabeth Baird and winner of Taste Canada’s gold for 2013.

December 21, 2013
Kitty Pope, CEO of the Guelph Public Library recommends Rose Murray’s Canadian Christmas Cooking which “has been part of the Pope family’s holiday feasts for more than 20 years.” In the book section of the Waterloo Region Record, Ms. Pope commented: “I was thrilled when Rose told me an updated and revised edition would be available by Christmas.” “The recipes are the kind that are passed from friend to friend and from mother to daughter. They truly reflect the cultural diversity and rich culinary traditions that are Canadian cooking at its very best.”

November, 2013
The Jury for the Taste Canada Food Writing Awards 2013 commented on “Canada’s Favourite Recipes” (co-authored with Elizabeth Baird) upon picking our book as the top general cookbook in Canada that year: “Recipes cover a broad-enough range of topics to keep the home cook riveted for some time.” “It covers everthing you might want to cook, bake, preserve or sip and it reads in places like a diary”.

December, 2012
Our new book “Canada’s Favourite Recipes” written with Elizabeth Baird has received so much attention this fall that it would fill pages to give all the links here, but check this one out for starters http://juliaaitken.com/blog-2/ Julia has been an editor at several Canadian magazines, and I do trust her judgment and appreciate her kind words.
The interviews are still going on, but I guess one of the highlights of the fall was appearing live on the national CTV morning show Canada AM every day last week. We did one segment in November, and the producer asked if we would give a week’s baking for the holidays…great fun.

Wednesday, December 14, 2010.

The Life Section of the Globe and Mail started with a feature article called “How to Build the Ultimate Cookbook Library”. Writer, Bob Mifsud put together a list of must-haves, helpful additions and flights of fancy in various categories of cookbooks. Under the Canadian category, he declared my A Taste of Canada a must-have by saying it is the Bible of Canadian cookbooks: “Mrs. Murray celebrates the food of this country from coast to coast to coast, and includes recipes from our three founding cultures as well as subsequent immigrant groups”.

Check out http://gremolata.com/Books/343-A-Taste-of-Canada-By-Rose-Murray.aspx for the fantastic review Gremolata has given A Taste of Canada. Parts of that review: “A Taste of Canada manages to be lush, folksy and elegant all at the same time.”  “The recipes are straight forward, but often have a slightly interesting twist, like ‘Simple Beef Stew with Orange-Walnut Gremolata’.”  “Murray’s background in magazines and broadcasting is evident: this book is perfect for a beginner as the instructions are clear and ingredients…readily available. That doesn’t mean that the experts have nothing to learn from this book.”

Reviews turn up in the most interesting publications, and one of the latest for A Taste of Canada was in the Holiday 2008 edition of a glossy magazine called On the Bay; Celebrating Life in Southern Georgian Bay. This is part of the review: “Collingwood native and award-winning cookbook author Rose Murray’s latest is a culinary survey of the superb foods of Canada. Gorgeous and oversized with a beautiful soft matte finish, A Taste of Canada features easy-to-follow recipes accompanied by stories and anecdotes from each corner of the country to capture Canada’s ethnic and regional diversity. Luscious full-colour photography makes this a must-have for every cook.”

Believe it or not, I’m right in there with Victoria Bechham and Angelina Jolie. Pick up the December 15th issue of Hello! Canada and turn to page 110. Tara Henley has written a wonderful article about my newest book  A Taste of Canada which she says “celebrates an exciting culinary landscape with accessible recipes, informed commentary on culinary history and striking photography from across the country.” 

Check out the Waterloo Region Record from Saturday, November 22nd for Dinah Murdoch’s column Ravenous in which she talks about A Taste of Canada under Cookbook celebrates all things Canadian.

Shelley Boettcher, a columnist for the Calgary Herald, filled a page with a lovely story about A Taste of Canada on November 5th.

On November 5th, Elizabeth Baird filled a page in the Toronto Sun with comments that made me blush…such as…”The beautiful food photography, the wonderfully generous page design, the supporting shots of striking landscapes and bits of culinary Canadiana make this book a must-have cookbook, especially with the gift-giving holidays quickly coming up.” Credit for the design and photos go to the wonderful team at Whitecap.

Another wonderful review of A Taste of Canada appeared in the Newsletter of the Culinary Historians of Ontario, the Culinary Chronicles part of their Winter 2008 issue, Number 58. It can be found on their website www.culinaryhistorians.ca

Already, this review is for A Taste of Canada: A Culinary Journey:

A reader of the lovely article about the book in Canada’s Style at Homewrote this: “I just tried the Phyllo Butter Tart recipe from the October issue…and I have to say these were absolutely the best butter tarts. I am just learningto bake and this is my first time using phyllo. The entire process was so easy and the results so yummy. Hmmmm…maybe I’ll make more tomorrow. Thanks to Rose Murray for developing this delicious treat.”

A Taste of Canada: A Culinary Journey is my tenth book. The following few review comments are for the first nine:

Canadian Christmas Cooking  (1979) (reprinted 1998, 1990):  “…is a joy. Just a fast flip through it would have Scrooge’s mouth watering.”–Books in Canada  

…”a tribute to holiday tastes from history, from across the country and around the world…renowned cook Rose Murray includes a wealth of sweet Yuletide offerings…”–Regina Leader Post

…”a compact little book full of most every Christmas recipe you might ever want from soup to nuts…No nonsense, no picture, just good recipes.”–Hamilton Spectator

Rose Murray’s Vegetable Cookbook (1983):  “This book combines Rose’s love of the traditional and the innovative as she celebrates the seasons as a proud Canadian cook and gardener.”–Canadian Living Magazine

“Rose Murray takes the mystique out of cooking…in a radio studio and in her recipes, she wipes out doubt and assumes success.”–Bruce Rodgers, CBC Radio Noon.

“Murray’s book is a little gem.”–Winnipeg Free Press

 Secrets of the Sea (1989): “Rose Murray’s nifty new cookbook could be a real boon to those suffering from that common kitchen ailment–fear of fish.”–Marion Kane, The Toronto Sun

Rose Murray’s Comfortable Kitchen Cookbook (1991):  “I think (Comfortable Kitchen Cookbook) has taught me more about creative cooking than any other book or cooking show I’ve ever watched.”–Elizabeth Hay, Producer, Ontario Today, CBC Radio

Food editor Carol Ferguson (from page 49 of the January/Fegruary 1997 issue of Homemaker’s Magazine: “Rose Murray knows about real food. She’s a wonderful cook and comfort-food expert. Her Comfortable Kitchen Cookbook is one of my favourites; just reading it will calm you down.”

“Rose Murray is one of canada’ most recognized cookbook writers; her personal warmth and genuine interest in food that tastes wonderful is apparent to all who’ve collected her books over the years. Two that are must-haves for the 90s are Canadian Christmas Cooking and Rose Murray’s Comfortable Kitchen Cookbook.”–Kathleen Walker, Southam News

Cellar & Silver (1993):  “Murray’s recipes show her expertise at presenting simple and readily available foods to great effect.”–Quill and Quire

“…A delightful surprise”….(Rose Murray) has perfected the art of serving.”–City & Country Home Magazine

New Casseroles and Other One-Dish Meals (1996, reprinted as 125 Best Casseroles and One-Dish Meals 2002):  “Rose Murray, a food writer with an exceptional flair for flavour, recommends serving chabbage salad with Pork & Apple stew from her excellent 1996 book, New Casseroles…”.–Montreal Gazette

“I’ve had the privilege of eating many of Rose’s one-dish meals, and they were wonderful.”–Edna Staebler, best selling cookbook author of Food that Really Schmecks series

Quick Chicken (1999, reprinted as 125 Best Chicken Recipes, 2003):  “Heaven in a Bowl”…caption for a picture of Chicken Chili Macaroni from Quick Chicken. “Ontario Food Writer has a great way with comfort food.”–Murray McMillan, The Vancouver Sun

“There’s no doubt, Rose Murray’s a queen in the kitchen. So, whenever Murray comes out with a new cookbook, it’s more than worth paying attention to. It’s a food lover’s must see.”–Elizabeth Baird, The London Free Press

“Rose Murray’s Quick Chicken …is one of those books you’ll keep on using, time and time again.”–Maie Nightingale, The Mail-Star Halifax

A Year in My Kitchen (200):  “This crowd-pleasing make-ahead dish is adapted from Rose Murray’s new cookbook, A Year in My Kitchen. This superb book is a compilation of her favourite recipes, developed over 25 years as one of canada’s premier food writers.”–Chatelaine Magazine

“Murray appeals to homemakers because her recipes are reliable, easy, and require few ‘exotic’ ingredients. A Year in My Kitchen, however, has added appeal:  It is unusually attractive for a book of this genre….The cover photo is colourful, pleasing, and peaceful. It sets the book’s tone, which could be called ‘genteel suburban’. Inside, Murray offers excellent ‘homestyle’ recipes….Murray’s text is gracious…”–Quill & Quire

Hungry for Comfort (2003) Winner of both gold for best book and bronze for culture in the 2004 Cuisine Canada/University of Guelph National Culinary Book Awards:  “No photos, just the sort of good, reliable recipes…stuffed like a good plum pudding with family anecdotes and memories, this has a kitchen-table feel to it.”–The Georgian Strait, Vancouver

“Hungry for Comfort offers both homey andsophisticated cuisine. Murray, one of Canada’s finest food writers, reflects her Ontario background and her world travels in recipes that work. this, her ninth book, is a winner.”–Julian Armstrong, Montreal/CanWest News Service….from The Gazette, Montreal, December 3, 2003 and The Kingston Whig-Standard, December 20, 2003