Indigenous Cuisine

Usually, when I read yummy cookbooks, I am accustomed to finding a whole bunch of ingredients that I can't get here. So what a nice change to read a cookbook where everyone else in the country might have to special-order the ingredients, but I can get them easily. Where People Feast: an indigenous people's cookbook by Dolly and Annie Watts is full of recipes from the famous Liliget Feast House in Vancouver, Canada. The authors - from the Gitk'san nation of British Columbia - include gastronomic staples like crème frâche and crab mousse. But they also include rare recipes for things like Fireweed Tea, Stir-fried Herring Spawn on Kelp, Lemon Smoked Ooligan, and Venison Meatballs. They have a nice index in the back of their book where recipes are listed by ingredient. For instance, there are 6 recipes listed that use ooligan, and 4 that use huckleberries. They have some really interesting descriptions of traditional ways of cooking and smoking, as well as explanations of how to prepare little treats like salmon berry shoots and pine sap. The recipes are all very easy to follow, and the preparation is simple. It just goes to show you that you don't need 14 hours and a certificate from the Cordon Bleu to prepare a delicious meal, especially if you're using fresh local ingredients (and how often do you get to do that?)