Adrian Forte has a long list of accomplishments already under his belt, from television appearances on Chopped Canada and Chef in your Ear, to guest chef stints at Café Boulud at the Four Seasons. He’s also the co-founder of comfort food favourite Dirty Bird Chicken & Waffles, and behind the popular pop-up Yawd.
But, Forte is possibly most recognizable from the eighth season of Top Chef Canada where he charmed and seasoned his way to the semi-finals. Now, Forte is adding “author” to his bio as he prepares to release his very first cookbook later this spring.
In “Yawd: Afro-Caribbean Recipes,” Forte shares over 100 delicious Afro-Caribbean recipes that anyone can try. The cookbook is named after the Caribbean pop-up that brought island vibes to Toronto during the pandemic. Once again, Forte transports us to warmer and happier days spent soaking in the sun through the cookbook’s recipes and on-site photography.
Throughout Yawd, Forte uses the bold and flavourful tastes that are key to Afro-Caribbean cooking. The Jamaican-born chef puts a unique style on Caribbean classic cuisines like Coconut Fried Chicken, Spiced Steamed Fish, Rasta Pasta, and Pepper Shrimp Paella.
Not only is Jerk essential to Caribbean cuisine, but it’s also a key piece to Forte’s cooking. According to the Introduction of Yawd, Forte always looked forward to the smell of spice and smoke as he drove past the jerk vendors while growing up in Kingston, Jamaica. The cookbook explores these key ingredients of the cuisine with multi-use recipes for Jerk Dry Rub and Marinade.
Home cooks can live the same experience of street vendors in Jamaica with the help of Forte’s Jerk-Marinated Chicken au Vin recipe. A true fan of Adrian Forte’s will also be excited to see his signature Oxtail Gnocchi recipe in the cookbook.
With a chapter on Forte’s best soups and porridges and mouth-watering desserts like Brown Sugar & Tamarind Cinnamon Rolls, this cookbook has something for everyone, no matter the kind of chef you are. Forte additionally offers plenty of plant-based options.
Forte knew the basics of cooking from an early age, thanks to both his grandmothers, who knew their way around the kitchen, he writes in the introduction. He cites them, along with his childhood in Jamaica, as being major sources of his evolution to becoming a chef.
“This cookbook has been a labour of love for me,” says Forte in an Instagram post revealing the cookbook’s cover, “and a tribute to my roots.”
While Yawd isn’t on sale until June 7, the cookbook is currently available for pre-order.
