CBC's Jonathan Pinto launches new Windsor cookbook

CBC foodie Jonathan Pinto has whipped up a collection of his favourite recipes for a flashy Windsor cookbook.

The Best of Windsor Cookbook brings some of the city's best flavours into people's kitchens with more than 90 recipes inspired by his anthology of radio food columns produced for CBC's Windsor Morning.

Since starting the column four years ago, Pinto has profiled more than 130 food producers, including prohibition-style drinks at the downtown's Blind Owl, pies baked at Wagner Orchards and Estate Winery, and the tastes of Baghdad at the Chicken Inn.

"There was certainly more than enough material for a few cookbooks," Pinto told Windsor Morning host Tony Doucette. "But [it] could only be so long and I wanted to have a good mixture of foods."

To narrow the scope of the book, Pinto reached out to a few of the people behind his favourite stories. Though some owners were reluctant to reveal their recipes, dozens of them agreed to share their secrets.

One of those comes from the pizzeria at the Caboto Club. Owner Remo Tortola uses a terracotta oven imported from Italy. He shared his recipes for dough, sauce and three different pizzas, including "Francesco".

Topped with roasted sweet potato, fresh garlic, goat cheese and parsley, the pie is named after Tortola's son, who enjoyed sweet potato puree as a child.

Other recipes include the iconic country rye bread from Blak's Bakery, potato and cheddar perogies from the Ukrainian Restaurant and the popular cauliflower fritters from The Willistead.

The Best of Windsor Cookbook is officially released on Nov. 15 and will be available in bookstores, online and at restaurants across the region. It is currently available at the Biblioasis retail store on Wyandotte Street East in Windsor.