Since 1981, Albertans have shared their love of Jean Paré (pronounced "PAIR-ee") and her crowd-pleasing recipes with the world. For eighteen years before that, Jean Paré earned a place in the hearts of her fellow townspeople in small-town Vermilion, Alberta, as the caterer who was most often asked: "Jean, will you handle it?" The inspiration for Jean Paré to create the Company's Coming cookbook series came to her from the empty plates that followed every catering function, coupled with an outpouring of requests for her recipes. April 14, 1981, marked the debut of 150 Delicious Squares, the first Company's Coming cookbook in what would soon become Canada's most popular cookbook series. Sincerity and trust come through in every one of Jean's recipes. James Darcy is a food folklorist who has worked with the World Health Organization on studies in health and nutrition. Always interested in food anthropology and ethnobotany, he has studied a wide variety of cooking methods and techniques all over the world.