This is a Cookbook (Mostly) I am a person who eats salad for breakfast. And I''m not a big fan of bacon. (I know.) While I may lean away from the traditional, the truth is, I believe that for brunch, anything goes, as it is dictated more by the time of day than what is on the plate. Between 10 AM and 3 PM, all is fair. Let''s not ever confine ourselves to bennies or a stack of pancakes (brunch is half lunch, after all) but instead find pleasure in what we love and bring all of our favourite dishes to the brunch table. Back in 2017, I wrote First, We Brunch , a tribute to Victoria''s brunch scene and beyond. It was part cookbook, part guidebook, and full of recipes contributed by restaurants and shops.

I was delighted to hear that people were "eating their way through the book," or using it to plan weekends with friends, cooking from cover to cover. Here again, I bring you a collection of recipes, this time from both our local chefs and makers, and from my own kitchen. While it is without doubt a cookbook full of treasured dishes, it is also a non-exhaustive introduction to more of Victoria''s restaurants and shops. It offers a little bit of inspiration to step out and explore our island''s eateries, with many options for filling your own brunch table at home as well, making it just right for whatever fits your mood in the moment. Yes, this book is about brunch, but let''s all agree not to take the definition too seriously. We''ve all heard of breakfast for dinner, how about dinner for breakfast? I love that brunch can be the best of both. And that''s why it''s the perfect time and place for exploration and discovery, for trying new things and bringing new life to old favourites. I carry with me a quote from Priyanka Mattoo''s book Bird Milk & Mosquito Bones: "The north star in my mother''s kitchen is to wake up identifying the exact combination of flavors you wanted to eat that day, and to create them by sight and sense.

" This could be my mantra and speaks to my deep love of food and its connection to our entire beings. My passion winds through the growing, the science, the history, and the creativity and joy it brings. This book is for those who join me in that passion. I say this with the full realization that I am, we are, unimaginably privileged to have access to fresh, local ingredients where we live--and not everyone has this luxury. Not even close. Let''s not take it for granted. Visit your farmers'' markets often, purchase produce and products that are grown and made here. You will absolutely taste, and feel, the difference.

Together, let''s make brunch a place to convene and celebrate. Once again, let us gather at the brunch table. How I''d Love for You to Use This Book While I am an avid cook who has written a few cookbooks and countless articles, photographed many more of both, and happily partakes in ''project'' cooking, I aim to make these recipes approachable and unintimidating. If you want to follow these recipes by the letter, please do! However, I also encourage you to use them as inspiration, and swap ingredients with what you have on hand or what you find at the market that morning. Cook with all your senses. Timing can vary, depending on kitchen equipment, environment and specific ingredients. So, rely on visual cues, touch and scent to determine when something is ready. Above all--taste, adjust, then taste again.

Pick up this book when you need a culinary muse. Read it like a novel. Dog-ear the pages, scribble notes in the margins and make the recipes your own. Cooking is creative. Allow these recipes to morph and grow and become regulars in your rotation and share them with those you love. The pages ahead begin with dishes generously shared by our talented local chefs and makers. There is only one way to thank them: go. Visit our city''s restaurants and shops and cafés often.

Fill their tables. Raise a glass. Their viability depends on our support, especially in light of the seismic shifts the restaurant industry has endured recently. Together, let''s keep our city alive, and its culture bright and thriving. Next comes a spattering of recipes from my own home kitchen, my attempt to convince the world that brunch is less about a menu, and more about a time of day. A tart, a stew, even a burger can earn its place at the brunch table. And if that feels like too much of a stretch, go ahead and put an egg on it. Excerpted from At the Brunch Table.