Araxi has a lot to be excited about this year. As one of the most celebrated dining destinations in Whistler, a host city of the 2010 Winter Olympics, the restaurant will be bustling with non-stop business. Even without the Olympic boost, Araxi would still have reason to be blushingly proud. Araxi: Seasonal Recipes from the Celebrated Whistler Restaurant is a masterpiece of a cookbook.

Not only is author James Walt the Executive Chef of Araxi, he is also a graduate of the prestigious Stratford Chefs School, has cooked for the James Beard House several times and was appointed Executive Chef to the Canadian embassy in Rome. Inventive appetizers and desserts round out the photograph-heavy cookbook that is full of inspiration for using those of-the-moment ingredients you've been trying to work into your menu, such as yuzu juice, fresh tarragon, heirloom tomatoes and baby turnips.

Furthermore, Chef James has been a champion of local-ingredient sourcing before "locavore" was a buzzword, and the result is a bevy of entrees that are as beautiful as his restaurant’s Vancouver scenery. Each creation is stunningly world-class: Roasted Lincod with Saffron Potatoes and White Asparagus, Seafood Boudin with Caponata and Loin of Lamb with Summer Squash and Sweet Peppers are stand-outs in this celebrated chef’s collection of recipes.
Kelly Robinson