Author-chef urges people to Gather together

Vancouver restaurateur David Robertson’s mission is to bring people together over food

David Robertson is a chef on a mission. When he and his wife Sara first opened their Vancouver business, The Dirty Apron, in 2009, the aim was to teach people to cook.

Shortly after, they opened a delicatessen. Offering breakfast, lunch and treats, the eatery proved popular. So the Robertsons decided to introduce a catering arm. Still hungry for more, in 2014, Robertson felt it was time for a cookbook.

“Our first cookbook, The Dirty Apron Cookbook, became a Canadian bestseller,” Robertson says proudly.

Now Robertson has released a second cookbook, titled Gather (Figure 1 Publishing). This time, as the name suggests, his mission is to bring people together around food.

“This is a time where people truly don’t gather enough, or at least not for the right reasons,” he says. “I want to encourage people to get back to the dinner table and connect, allowing food to be the medium that brings them together, regardless of differences.”

The latest cookbook release, Robertson says, has a “timeless” quality to it — think dishes with staying power rather than those centred on social media fads.

The recipes span brunch to “basics” and include options for vegetarians, seafood lovers and meat eaters. “A lot of them are based on meals had with family, friends, staff and, of course, customer favourites,” he says of the 80 recipes. “These are recipes I am proud to showcase and cook from on a daily basis — not just at work, but pretty much anywhere and anytime.

“I love the energy in cooking. You are multitasking, having different things on the go at the same time,” he says. “But, in the midst of all the pressure, there’s something so satisfying about … enjoying the resulting meal. It truly excites me even as I am writing about it.”