Christopher Hirsheimer (left) and Melissa Hamilton—the women behind Canal House—are home cooks who write about home cooking for other home cooks. Their cookbooks have been inspiring cooks of all kinds—from the novice and passionate cook alike, to the restaurant chef—since the debut of their award-winning cookbook series, Canal House Cooking, began with their simple but elegant and delicious recipes for cooking at home. Their latest book, Cook Something: Recipes to Rely On (Voracious, 2019), is widely available. Here’s a link to order your signed copy.
They are the cofounders of Canal House, whose facets include a publishing venture, and culinary, photography, and design studio based in Milford, New Jersey. Christopher and Melissa collaborate on Canal House Cooking, a series of seasonal cookbooks for which they do all the writing, recipes, photography, design, and production. They were the recipients of the 2013 James Beard Foundation award in the General Cooking category for their cookbook, Canal House Cooks Every Day (Andrews McMeel, 2012), and were nominees for their Bon Appétit video series, “The Seasonal Cooks”, as well as 2013 IACP nominees for Photography and Food Styling.
In 2019, Christopher and Melissa opened Canal House Station, their charming restaurant tucked into an elegantly restored 1870s train station on the banks of the Delaware River in tiny Milford, NJ. Their idiosyncratic, modern American cuisine is always inspired by the seasons. They have been nominated twice for a James Beard Foundation “Best Chef: Mid Atlantic” award.
To learn more about Canal House, visit thecanalhouse.com.