Hall of Fame Award | 2010

Margaret Fraser, a food stylist, writer, and home economist, was born in Saskatoon. After graduating from the University of Saskatchewan, Fraser moved to Ontario to intern as a dietitian at Toronto Western Hospital, and later worked in the Shirriff test kitchen where she created recipes and developed a passion for food styling. She became a well-known food writer and editor for Canadian Living magazine and many of their cookbooks, including The Canadian Living Microwave Cookbook, published in 1988. Shown here, its diverse recipes range from meats, fish, soups, and sauces to desserts, breads, and pasta, Fraser demonstrated that the microwave一a new household appliance in the 1980s一was versatile and could be used not only for quick and easy meals but also for elegant and exotic ones. In highlighting the practical and nutritional benefits of microwave cooking, Fraser helped to modernize Canadians’ palates in an increasingly busy and technological world.

Fraser, Margaret. The Canadian Living Microwave Cookbook. Mississauga: Random House of Canada, 1988. Archival & Special Collections, University of Guelph Library (TX715.6 F712).