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Great idea kestypes,

I'm from Canada, in the Toronto area. To my knowledge, we don't have any "major" or highly influential food publications here in Canada picking top books but I personally value the opinions of The Cookbook Store in Toronto and they've done a "Top Picks" list to which I'll paste a link below.

You'll quickly see that distance doesn't necessarily translate in to differences and some of Susan's picks are also reflected in their list as well.

As for me, its so hard to pick "favourite cookbooks" I just love cookbooks and I've acquired some great old (and some very old) books this year as a result of "Favourites" here on EYB and, other recommendations I found in articles, via my travels and Chowhound. That said, in terms of books that came out this year, here are the ones that have really impressed me:

Kitchen Garden Companion - Stephanie Alexander: actually not released in Canada yet, I had to order this from the UK. This may be the most aesthetically pleasing cookbook I've ever owned. I love its cloth book jacket, quality binding and paper, beautiful photography, bookmark ribbons and of course, the recipes I've tried have been great too. I love to garden so the tips and gardening commentary is a bonus in this book. Top marks on all counts!

Seasons - Donna Hay - Just came out here and had captured me with its over-sized format, fantastic photography and typically wonderful, simple, yet flavourful recipes. Donna Hay is one of my favourite cookbook authors so I would have bought this book regardless but its so nice when your expectations are exceeded. I love this book.

Ad Hoc At Home - I haven't cooked from this at all, I've just given it a prominent spot on my coffee table and enjoy flipping through it when I have some free time. We had the pleasure of dining at Ad Hoc and this book brings back memories. Like its predecessors, it's a beautiful book that was thoughtfully put together...an aspirational read.

Simply In Season - Tony DeLuca - Another great book from a fabulous Niagara wine-country chef. I'm a fan of this chef and have dined at all his restaurants over the years and. had the pleasure of meeting him. His recipes reflect the food he serves, are easy to execute with great flavour. Just picked this up in October and look forward to trying more recipes.

Niagara Cooks - A Seasonal Attitude - Lynn Orgzylo: This author is an advocate for Niagara agro-tourism and locally sourced ingredients. I loved this book from the moment I flipped through it. Not only does it have terrific recipes but it also serves as a wonderful travel guide for foodies visiting the Niagara Region. We planned a trip based on recommendations in this book and weren't disappointed.

Honorable Mention: All the Best Recipes - Jane Rodmell. This book came out last year but I acquired it in January and I have to say, its one of my all time favourite books and quickly became one that I pull off the shelf when I'm in the mood to cook something delicious and impressive. It's the only book I'd consider indexing myself for EYB since its unlikely to be on many bookshelves given the current demographic and target market here and I'd love to be able to make better use of it. This book features recipes from a well known gourmet shop/caterer here in Toronto. It's a book I'm quick to recommend and, have confidently given as a gift.





Here's the link to Toronto's Cookbook Store Picks if you're interested:

http://www.cook-book.com/our_picks/index.html

Here's a link to the Washington Post's list of top cookbooks of 2010:  http://www.washingtonpos.../30/AR2010113003035.html

My best find for 2010 was the Canal House Cooking series.  I've subscribed and now have volumes 2-5 - I love the quality of both the recipes and the pihotography.  These little gems of books are by season and have inspired me to experiment.  Very affordable and beautifully presented.

http://www.thecanalhouse.com/

Thanks for that link chrisguzzi.  I didn't actually include it in the Best of the best of 2010 as it was a best cookbooks of all time list rather than just last year.  But an interesting list nevertheless.  I never did get any best cookbooks of 2010 lists from Australia - just one from a bookstore in Melbourne.