A Feast for All Seasons: Traditional Native Peoples' Cuisine

Publisher's Description (Arsenal Pulp Press): 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.

Author's Biography (GoodMinds.com): 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. Photo courtesy of Canadian Press. Author's Biography (Arsenal Pulp Press): 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. While he is not a member of any Indigenous group, he has worked in close association with Andrew George Jr.

Resource type: Book (Non-fiction)

Age recommendation: Grades 4-6, 7-9, 10-12, Post secondary

Keywords: Indigenous cook book, cook book, Wet'suwet'en, Aboriginal cuisine, Now'h Yin'h Ta'h, Bear Clan, Cree, Micmac, Malecite, Cayuga, recipe, Aboriginal chef, generational knowledge, accessibility, medicine, ceremony, fishing, fish, hunt, hunting, gathering, gather, hereditary chief, authenticity, wild, farmed, Olympics, teacher, teach, taught, traditional, friendship, sharing, enjoyment, love, values, value through food, bonds, community, history

Year of publication: 2010

Publisher information: Arsenal Pulp Press