A detailed culinary history supplemented with sidebars, historical timelines, glossaries and over 120 extraordinary recipes.

The Acadians were French-speaking residents of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, forced to migrate to Louisiana after the 1763 British conquest of French Canada.

Celebrating the evolution of Acadian cooking from its 17th century roots to the Cajun and French Canadian dishes it's known for today, The Acadian Kitchen is a landmark guide to Acadian and Cajun history, culture and the time-honored foods that define this one-of-a-kind heritage. Influenced by the cultural exchange of historic French, Creole, Indigenous and maritime ideas, Acadian cuisine is defined less by technique than by the desire to take simple, local ingredients and turn them into something delicious.

Includes chapters on chowders, pies, preserves, and classic desserts. From the aroma of rappie pies baking in the oven, rich fragrant broth bubbling on the stovetop for the evening's fricot and buckwheat pancakes frying in a cast-iron skillet -- these are the tastes and smells of traditional Acadian cooking.

Alain Bossé "The Kilted Chef"
has travelled the world over, from kitchens to convention centres, sharing his expertise and love for buying and eating local ingredients with people near and far. With his signature tartan kilt, proud Acadian heritage, and undeniable flair for cooking with local ingredients, he has earned a reputation as one of Atlantic Canada's culinary ambassadors.

Chef Alain has cooked for global dignitaries and has worked in kitchens and on event stages alongside top chefs from around the world. He firmly believes that if you live local, then you should buy local. For more than three decades, Alain has promoted local commodities such as lobster, Mussels, apples, and wild blueberries (to name a few), and he has been a frequent guest instructor at culinary schools where his lectures focus on "Lobster and/or Mussels 101," educating students on the use of sustainable Atlantic Canadian seafood.

Chef Alain is a frequent guest on radio and TV, as well as a prolific recipe creator and food writer. He is the food editor and stylist for Saltscapes magazine, and has received the prestigious Gary MacDonald Culinary Ambassador of the Year award in Nova Scotia. The Acadian Kitchen is his second cookbook, following Mussels: Preparing, Cooking and Enjoying a Sensational Seafood with Linda Duncan.

Alain Bossé's profile page

"The Acadian Kitchen by Alain Bossé is a landmark guide to Acadian and Cajun history, culture and the time-honored foods that define this one-of-a-kind heritage. Influenced by the cultural exchange of historic French, Creole, Indigenous and maritime ideas, Acadian cuisine is defined less by technique than by the desire to take simple, local ingredients and turn them into something delicious. Offering a detailed culinary history supplemented with sidebars, historical timelines, glossaries and over 120 extraordinary recipes, The Acadian Kitchen includes chapters on chowders, pies, preserves, and classic desserts. Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout, The Acadian Kitchen features authentic and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes that are as palate pleasing as they are appetite satisfying. Certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections, The Acadian Kitchen is unreservedly recommended and an ideal introduction to French Canadian and Cajun cuisine."
— Midwest Book Review

"In a very accessible and entertaining manner, Bossé—aka the Kilted Chef—educates readers about Acadian cooking and the various tips and techniques associated with this very local brand of cuisine. . . Bossé's joy of Acadian cooking is contagious."
— Booklist starred review

"He (Alain Bossé) celebrates over 400 years of Acadian history and culture. It's from Champlain and the Order of Good Cheer through the Cajun and French Canadian dishes. There are classic preps and modern updates: fricot, rappie pie, jambalaya, festive desserts. . . A big round of applause too for the support of Experience Acadie. Quality/price rating: 91
— Dean Tudor