James Barber

James Barber (23 March 1923 – 29 November 2007) was an English-born Canadian cookbook author and host of The Urban Peasant, a CBC cooking show.

Barber worked as an engineer before becoming a food critic for The Province. He immigrated to Canada in 1952. His lifelong interest in food and writing and his increased knowledge in these areas naturally led him to become a cookbook author. Following his retirement, he spent his remaining years on his farm in British Columbia's Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. An energetic and passionate man with a large personality, Barber strove to empower others to do things for themselves.

Barber was married twice and fathered five children; 3 sons and 2 daughters. Perhaps fittingly, Barber died peacefully on 29 November 2007, at his farm of natural causes while sitting at the dining room table reading a cookbook with a pot of chicken soup simmering on the stove. He was 84 years old and is survived by his wife and five children.

• The Fry Pan Man, host
• The Dini Petty Show, frequent appearances
• The Urban Peasant, host

• National Post, occasionally
• Pacific Yachting
• Vancouver Magazine
• The Vancouver Sun

• Ginger Tea Makes Friends (Illustrated) (1971 McClelland and Stewart ISBN 0-7710-1007-9)
• Fear of Frying (1978 Douglas & McIntyre ISBN 0-88894-281-8)
• Ginger Tea Makes Friends (July 1982 Madrona Publishing ISBN 0-88894-148-X)
• Flash in the Pan (July 1982 Douglas & McIntyre Ltd ISBN 0-88894-331-8)
• James Barber Mushrooms Are Marvellous (1984 Douglas & McIntyre Ltd.; First edition ISBN 0-88894-444-6)
• James Barber's Personal Guide to the Best Eating in Vancouver (October 1985 North Country Book Express ISBN 0-932722-10-5)
• James Barber's Immodest but Honest Good Eating Cookbook (October 1986 Solstice Press ISBN 0-932722-12-1)
• Urban Peasant (April 1991 Raincoast Book Dist Ltd ISBN 0-9694144-0-4)
• Urban Peasant Quick & Simple Cookbook (16 June 1993 Urban Peasant Productions ISBN 0-9697123-0-8)
• The Urban Peasant: Recipes from the Popular Television Cooking Series (25 September 1994 Hasting House Publishing ISBN 0-8038-9370-1)
• Peasant's Choice (1 October 1994 Urban Peasant Productions ISBN 0-9698398-2-0)
• Peasant's Choice: More of the Best from the Urban Peasant Recipes from the Popular Television Cooking Series (March 1995 Hasting House Publishing ISBN 0-8038-9370-1)
• Peasant's Alphabet: More of the best from the Urban Peasant (30 September 1997 Urban Peasant Productions ISBN 0-9698398-4-7)
• Cooking for Two: The Urban Peasant (January 1999 Macmillan Press ISBN 0-7715-7634-X)
• Ginger Tea Makes Friends (August 2000 Raincoast Book Dist Ltd ISBN 1-55192-284-3)
• Flash in the Pan (August 2000 Raincoast Book Dist Ltd ISBN 1-55192-312-2)
• Fear of Frying (August 2000 Raincoast Book Dist Ltd ISBN 1-55192-310-6)
• Chef's Salad: Greens, Vegetables, Pasta, Bean, Seafood, Potato (1 April 2003 ISBN 1-55285-419-1) James Barber (foreword)
• One-Pot Wonders: James Barber Recipes for Land and Sea (10 July 2006 Harbor ISBN 1-55017-378-2)