Having studied at the Dubrulle French Culinary School in Vancouver, McIntosh worked at the Mandarin Hotel and for the Umberto Menghi Group prior to opening her bookstore specializing in cookbooks, Barbara-jo's Books to Cooks, located in Vancouver's Yaletown district.

Her Tin Fish Gourmet (Raincoast, 1998; 2nd edition Arsenal Pulp Press 2014) provides 75 recipes for seafood that is available in tins. It also includes reproductions of historic fish can labels throughout. It made a strong showing on the BC Bestseller List in its second edition. It provides advice as to how to "transform everyday canned seafood into stylish, delicious dishes in this cookbook that features innovative recipes for not only tinned salmon and tuna but clams, oysters, shrimp, crabmeat, sardines, anchovies, mackerel, and more." Dishes include Creamy Garlic & Clam Chowder, Kentucky Crab Crepes, New England Salmon Cakes, and Apple, Cheddar & Tuna Melt.

[BCBW 2014] "Cookbook"