A Feast for All Seasons
Traditional Native Peoples' Cuisine
- Publisher
- Arsenal Pulp Press
- Initial publish date
- Oct 2010
- Category
- Native American
- Recommended Age
- 13
- Recommended Grade
- 8
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9781551523682
- Publish Date
- Oct 2010
- List Price
- $24.95
Classroom Resources
Where to buy it
Description
Traditional North American Native peoples' cuisine has existed for centuries, but its central tenet of respecting nature and its bounty have never been as timely as they are now. Andrew George, of the Wet'suwet'en Nation in Canada, is a well-respected aboriginal chef and instructor who has spent the last twenty-five years promoting the traditions of First Nations food. In A Feast for All Seasons, written with Robert Gairns, he has compiled aboriginal recipes that feature ingredients from the land, sea, and sky, elements of an enduring cuisine that illustrate respect for the environment and its creatures, and acknowledgment of the spiritual power that food can have in our lives.
The 120 recipes include delectable, make-at home dishes such as Salmon and Fiddlehead Stirfry, Stuffed Wild Duck, Barbecued Oysters, Pan-fried Rabbit with Wild Cranberry Glaze, Clam Fritters, and Wild Blueberry Cookies. The book also features recipes with exotic ingredients that provide a fascinating glimpse into the history of Native cuisine: Moose Chili, Boiled Porcupine, Smoked Beaver Meat, and Braised Bear.
This unique cookbook pays homage to an enduring food culture--grounded in tradition and the power of nature--that transcends the test of time.
About the authors
Andrew George Jr. is a member of the Wet’suwet’en Nation in British Columbia. He participated on the first all-Native team at the Culinary Olympics in Frankfurt, Germany, and was head chef at the Four Host First Nations pavilion at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. In 2012 he was part of a delegation of chefs from 25 countries on a US State Department initiative called "Culinary Diplomacy: Promoting Cultural Understanding Through Food." He develops Native menus for restaurants and hotels internationally, and teaches cooking to Native students. His first cookbook was A Feast for All Seasons; his second, Modern Native Feasts, was published in 2013.
Andrew George Jr.'s profile page
Robert Gairns is a writer who has followed Andrew George Jr.'s career from chef's apprentice to gold medal-winning chef. His play about Louis Riel, co-written with Maria Campbell, was first staged at the Winnpeg Centennial Concert Centre in 1991. Robert Gairns lives in Nepean, Ontario.
Editorial Reviews
George wants us to think like his First Nations elders: get back to the land and appreciate what's been provided for us. His elegant recipes include a smart take on pan-fried oysters with seaweed.
-Barbara-jo McIntosh, Western Living
Western Living
A fine collection and very highly recommended for those looking for an original series of dishes to experiment with.
-Midwest Book Review
Midwest Book Review
A lovely cookbook ... A great gift for anyone interested in Canadian food history, First Nations or locavore diets.
-Calgary Herald
Calgary Herald
I loved that some of the recipes were simple, like the three-ingredient Baked Sweet Potato with Roasted Hazelnuts, a great accompaniment to wild game like the simple Roast Venison ... A Feast for All Seasons gives a glimpse into the purpose of the feast that brings people together.
-St'at'imc Runner
St'at'imc Runner
Librarian Reviews
A Feast for All Seasons: Traditional Native Peoples' Cuisine
“This book is named after the Wet’suwet’en feast, denii ne’aas, which means ‘people coming together’. It is an appropriate title for a book that is not only about delicious things to eat, but also about the ways of a people…”. The comment from the book’s introduction is an apt description of this cookbook with recipes such as Smoked Salmon Wet’suwet’en Style, Moose Cutlets and Wild Blueberry Cookies. The recipes are divided according to the origin of the main ingredient: the waters, the earth, the land and the sky. There are also suggested feast menus based on the seasons.George was head chef at the Four Host First Nations pavilion at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Gairns was advisor to the gold-medal Native Haute Cuisine team, 1996.
Source: The Association of Book Publishers of BC. Canadian Aboriginal Books for Schools. 2011-2012.
