In her latest cookbook, Don’t Worry, Just Cook, written with her daughter Anna Rupert (who has been in the kitchen cooking beside Bonnie her whole life!), Bonnie and Anna are here to help cooks of all experience foster comfort and connection through food.

With her trademark encouraging style and attention to detail, Bonnie writes recipes that are consistently delicious, widely appealing, and, as always, timeless. Like all of her cookbooks, Don’t Worry, Just Cook doesn’t simply give instructions to create a dish, it also shares stories, lessons, and kitchen wisdom that will build your cooking technique and confidence in the kitchen.

In this new book, you’ll find easy-to-follow recipes for all-day breakfasts, soups, starters, and side dishes, as well as breads and vegetarian, fish, and meat mains. And, for those wanting something sweet, Bonnie and Anna have included plenty of desserts! You’ll be amazed by how quickly such special dishes like Jeweled Roasted Salmon with Herbs and Sheet Pan Chicken with Lemon and Olives come together.

The simplicity and beauty of dishes like Ja’ala Herb Salad with Lemon Honey Dressing and Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Tahini and Z’hug will impress even the cook! And the desserts, like the Pavlova Cake with Lemon Curd and Berries, Bonnie’s Rugelach, and S’mores Chocolate Bark have never been so fun or delicious.

Bonnie and Anna have also provided notes and variations to help you modify dishes for special diets, and have sprinkled in essays on topics that will resonate with all of us, from things not worth worrying about, to a love of leftovers and what to do with them. Bonnie and Anna’s warm voices and subtle humour come through on every page. With 125 enjoyable and thoughtful recipes, and stunning photography, home cooks will turn to this instant classic time and time again to nourish themselves and the people they love.

Don’t Worry, Just Cook: Delicious, Timeless Recipes for Comfort and Connection is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Indigo.ca.  

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Jewelled Roasted Salmon with Herbs

I was trying to plan something to cook for one of my first virtual classes when I stumbled upon a bright, colorful photo of salmon covered in “jewels,” on Instagram @laineskitchen and I was inspired. The jewels I am using here are pomegranate seeds, orange suprèmes (see note on page 109), rose petals, and pistachios. Other fresh fruit such as cherries, grapes, apricots, or berries can be used along with dried cherries, and apricots (especially the sour ones). This dish is always a hit, whether I serve it hot with rice or at room temperature with salad. I like to cook a large piece of salmon whole because the fish stays juicier, but you can also make this using individual fillets, and you can substitute any thick fish, like halibut or cod, for the salmon.

Serves 6

2½ lb boneless, skinless salmon fillet, thick center cut if possible

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp honey

1 tsp kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp grated lemon or lime peel

Sprigs of fresh thyme

2/3 cup Tahini Yogurt (page 18)

Jewel Topping

1 cup combination of coarsely chopped fresh cilantro,

flat-leaf parsley, dill, and mint + whole sprigs

1 tsp kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp grated orange peel

1/3 cup pomegranate seeds

¼ cup chopped pistachios or coarsely chopped roasted almonds (or a combination)

3 oranges peeled and cut into suprèmes

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp dried rose petals, optional

1. Place the salmon on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Combine the olive oil with the honey, salt, pepper to taste, and lemon peel. Rub into the salmon and let it rest at room temperature for up to 30 minutes, or for longer in the refrigerator. Top with the sprigs of fresh thyme once it has marinated.
2. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Roast the salmon for 10 to 15 minutes, or until just cooked when pressed in the center with the back of a spoon or until an instant-read thermometer registers 140°F to 145°F when inserted into the thickest part. Remove the sprigs of fresh thyme and discard.
3. Coat the salmon with the yogurt tahini sauce.
4. For the jewel topping, sprinkle with the chopped fresh herbs, salt, pepper, and orange peel. Then top with the pomegranate seeds, nuts, orange suprèmes, and sprigs of fresh herbs. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with dried rose petals, if using.

NOTE: If barbecuing the salmon, leave the skin on and coat both sides of the whole piece with a few tablespoons of mayonnaise to help prevent sticking.

Excerpted from Don’t Worry, Just Cook by Bonnie Stern and Anna Rupert, published by Appetite by Random House, an imprint of Penguin Random House Canada. Copyright © 2022 Bonnie Stern Cooking Schools Ltd. and Anna Rupert. Food photography by Tyler Anderson. Reprinted by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.