Since 1981, Canadians have shared their love of Jean Paré (pronounced Perry) and her crowd-pleasing recipes with the world. For eighteen years before that, she 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? From 1963 until her first cookbook was published in 1981, catering filled Jean's schedule. Operating from her home kitchen, she made a practice of always offering a wider selection of dishes than was expected by her customers. With the help of many hands and long lists, Jean could serve over a thousand people a hot roast beef dinner within twenty minutes. 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. Today, she is Canada's most popular cookbook author, who has sold over 30 million cookbooks. She was awarded Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee Medal in 2004.