James Barber

[eatrustic]

As has been widely reported in the Vancouver media James Barber passed away at his home in Vancouver Island a few days ago.

I wanted to pay tribute to the man as he is one of the giants on the food scene in Vancouver and as often happens to those who live a long life their accomplishments can tend to fade from memory. There is so much more to James then Money's Mushrooms or the Urban Peasant.

I won't pretend to give a bio on his life as I have not been acquainted with his professional career for that long but I first became aware of his talent when I moved to Vancouver in the mid 80's. At the time he was writing the restaurant column for the Georgia Straight (for which he won national awards) and his weekly offerings were nothing short of brilliant as he combined a lovely turn of phrase with hands down the most informed food knowledge of the era. It was a pleasure to discover little out of the way ethnic restaurants that were described in loving detail and with obvious knowledge of the cuisines. This was in stark contrast to the pompous and mainstream food reporting of the time.

What has struck me most about James as I've crossed his path over the years in some Asian market, charity auction or restaurant is his pure and unadulterated love of all things food and wine. He really was the foodie's foodie. He would talk to anyone who approached him with a question about food or restaurants with unbridled enthusiasm and an absolute lack of ego (so refreshing and rare). I ran into him one day on the street a few years back and he hauled me over to his car to show me this brand new gadget he had found at Lee Valley. It was one of the very first Micro Plane graters. He pulled out a lemon and started zesting away with real excitement at his find.

His success in later years (at a time when most of us would have been in a rest home) with his Urban Peasant tv show, his columns in Van Mag, a new cookbook (along with his tireless support of many good causes) is a nice cap to a well lived life.

My condolences to his wife (and fellow food and wine expert) Christina Burridge .

[run2eat]

Sad news indeed. RIP Urban Peasent!

[Peter the eater]

Sad news indeed.

I met him just once at a book signing in Toronto ten years ago. A gracious man who leaves behind a substantial body of work - he'll be missed.

[Sherry B]

I just heard this on the CBC, I am heartbroken.

Farewell, sweet James!

(Eatrustic, wonderful and thoughtful post!)

Edited December 3, 2007 by Sherry B (log)

[demiglace]

Yes a wonderful man..he will be missed.

[prasantrin]

I'm so sad to hear about his passing! I quite liked his show, though I can't say I always liked the things he cooked. He always seemed like such a nice man--like a grandfather everyone would love to have!

[riboflavinjoe]

Yes, James Barber was a hero to me; I was grew up watching the Urban Peasant. I never really thought too much about the food, I just loved his attitude. After watching the show for a while, I thought, hey, I can do this! So I started playing around in the kitchen and eventually ended up going to cooking school. Mr. Barber, we will miss you. You taught us much more than just how to cook.

[Country Cook]

A Canadian Icon. I remember watching him with my father on lazy afternoons, goodbye John.

[canucklehead]

James Barber was kinda like a adventurous grandfather who would take you out and introduce you to food that you would otherwise not try. And like a grandfather - it is almost shocking the void that is left behind when they move on. You think that it can't be possible that he is no longer with us.

I'll echo the sentiments of eatrustic and say that he was the first local food writer to really revel in the wealth of ethnic cuisine that we have in Vancouver. His enthusiasism and sheer joy of food was infectious.

When I think of Mr Barber, I think of a pot gently bubbling away, friends and family coming over for dinner, and the warm glow of a good meal shared. His life was indeed lived well.

[nwyles]

I met him once, and I was so star struck that I could not manage to string a few words together.

And that is something to behold.

[fud]

When I think of Mr Barber, I think of a pot gently bubbling away, friends and family coming over for dinner, and the warm glow of a good meal shared.  His life was indeed lived well.

←

I could not have put it better. I've been a fan of his show forever. I think I probably watched more than half of his shows for the enjoyment of watching him enjoy cooking more than to learn how to make something.

[Sam Salmon]

A wonderful tribute eatrustic-Thanks for posting.

My first memoy of James Barber was a cooking show on CoOp Radio-Yes radio!

Just the sound of things sizzling in the pan and his low key avuncular manner were enough to rivet my attention-it was the first I'd ever heard of Basmati Rice to this day there's rarely anything else in my pantry.

Quite agree about his bringing the wealth of local ethnic cookery into mainstream focus quite unlike anyone else.

There'll never be anyone like him again.....

[barolo]

Ginger Tea Makes Friends, James Barber's first cookbook, was also the first cookbook I bought for myself. It was inspiring and liberating, especially after Betty Crocker and high school Home Economics.

Barber wrote for hermits, spinsters, basement suite dwellers, hungry drunks, lovers, the broken hearted, and the totally incompetent - in other words, real people.

Here's James from the introduction to Ginger Tea Makes Friends:

Cooking is the simplest way of saying “I love you”. That may sound pretentious as hell, but if you accept it essential, your cooking will improve – and so will your love life.

There is so much mystique in the kitchen, all mixed up with social acceptance, and fancy linen, and the right kind of spoons. … I have a lot of pots and pans, but mostly I use a heavy iron frying pan with a lid.

…

Measure out some spoonfuls, see how they look in your hand, then forget the spoons and start feeling your food as you cook it.

That’s really the secret – touch it a bit.

And an introduction to a recipe:

Slightly Pretentious Pork Chops

When you are in a hurry is no time to eat.  This a very simple, very easy and very satisfying dish that gives you at least half an hour to sit and reflect on the injustices the world has this day wrought upon you. … The ingredients are in most corner stores, so, even at midnight, if you want to cook, you can do it – if you have wine.

And, if you haven’t, use apple juice. It will taste different.  Not better, not worse …but just different

Thank you James - goodbye.

[chromedome]

I lived in Vancouver for most of the 80's, and I loved Barber's restaurant reviews. The Urban Peasant was the first cooking show I made a real point of watching...to this day, I think, about the only one I sought out consistently.

He was entertaining and knowledgeable, and his food made sense to me. It was simple, it was quick, it was easy, and he used what was on hand. To the end of my days, I will remember his beaming face explaining that you could deglaze the pan for such-and-such a dish with wine, or cider, or apple juice, "...but today we're going to use water, because that's what we've got."

I can imitate his "...that's what we've got" very well indeed; it was a great catchphrase of his that I adopted in fun.

Barber inspired me to be more adventurous and improvisational in the kitchen; on some levels perhaps he set me on the course that ended in me becoming chef of my own restaurant. Be that as it may, I will always be indebted to him, and I will always remember him fondly.

I can't help feeling happy for him, though, in one respect. So many people die miserably, in pain or fear: James died peacefully at his kitchen table; a cookbook in front of him, a pot of chicken soup simmering on the stove, and his longtime love somewhere not far away. I should be so lucky, when my time comes.

[annanstee]

Ginger Tea Makes Friends, James Barber's first cookbook, was also the first cookbook I bought for myself.  It was inspiring and liberating, especially after Betty Crocker and high school Home Economics. 

Barber wrote for hermits, spinsters, basement suite dwellers, hungry drunks, lovers, the broken hearted, and the totally incompetent - in other words, real people.

Here's James from the introduction to Ginger Tea Makes Friends:

Cooking is the simplest way of saying “I love you”. That may sound pretentious as hell, but if you accept it essential, your cooking will improve – and so will your love life.

There is so much mystique in the kitchen, all mixed up with social acceptance, and fancy linen, and the right kind of spoons. … I have a lot of pots and pans, but mostly I use a heavy iron frying pan with a lid.

…

Measure out some spoonfuls, see how they look in your hand, then forget the spoons and start feeling your food as you cook it.

That’s really the secret – touch it a bit.

And an introduction to a recipe:

Slightly Pretentious Pork Chops

When you are in a hurry is no time to eat.  This a very simple, very easy and very satisfying dish that gives you at least half an hour to sit and reflect on the injustices the world has this day wrought upon you. … The ingredients are in most corner stores, so, even at midnight, if you want to cook, you can do it – if you have wine.

And, if you haven’t, use apple juice. It will taste different.  Not better, not worse …but just different

Thank you James - goodbye.

←

Nice post, Barolo.

I still have my copy of Ginger Tea Makes Friends, stolen from my parents' bookcase. I love the silly comic strip drawings. My dad learned how to cook from that book and other Barber books, so my family owns Mr. Barber a huge debt.

[3WholeCardamoms]

i used to make mr. barber his skim-milk capp. in the correct specified cup everyweek for a year in Cowichan. he was a crusty bugger, but he was kinda limpin around at that point, so maybe he was in pain.

he was a fixture and default food icon in the cowichan valley and it gave him alot of space and play when it came to food/menu consultation and events. i remember my humble-to-death friend coming home one night after running a cooking workshop for bill jones, pissed cuz ol granpa james held court on japanese cuisine for like an hour before making way for the guy who actually knows the cuisine to do the work.

he was human. he wasn't a teddy bear.

and he was the first person i can recall from childhood tv who was visibly, contagiously excited by food.

[Paul B]

When a friend of mine, who couldn't boil water to save his life, became a bachelor a couple years back, I bought him a copy of Barber's Urban Peasant. It saved his life: simple, no-nonsense recipes that take the mystery out of cooking. I still make his sausage and cabbage strata. RIP.

[Anna N]

On a recent trip to a charity store I found a copy of James Barber's "Immodest but Honest Good Eating Cookbook". It's not going to find its way into my collection so if anyone is interested I will be happy to mail it off. Canadian addresses only please.

The first person to PM me will be the new owner.

Edited to add: The book has found its new owner.

Edited January 6, 2008 by Anna N (log)

[eatrustic]

James Barber was sent off in style today when 250 of Vancouver's top chefs, restaurant owners and media along with friends and family gathered at Sun Sui Wah restaurant on Main St. for a feast of Dim Sum, Braised Abalone, Chili Crab, Roasted Squab and more.

James had asked for a get together in a chinese restaurant with friends to celebrate his passing and it was a great occasion with tons of remembrances and laughs to send off one of the true greats of the Canadian food world.