Customer Reviews

Spirit of the Harvest: North American Indian Cooking

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The explanations of the ceremonies when certain dishes were prepared and eaten gave insights into how Native Americans lived and celebrated life. I was surprised how much history was involved in the dishes I grew up eating and had assumed were of early American or European origin. History books never mention that our early indigenous people were gourmands.

This is a "must have" cookbook if you'd like to prepare authentic Native American food. The ingredients are easy to find in any well stocked grocery store, and the recipes are not difficult. No "weird" ethnic foods here- just good meals made with what's available. The historical background for the foods of different tribes is an interesting read. The photographs and drawings are absolutely beautiful- those alone are good reasons to purchase this book!

The photography is unbelievable and the recipes work! The book gives us a palatable way to enjoy the true native american way of cooking. I would highly reccomend this book to everyone that loves to experience the enjoyment of cooking new recepies and the even greater enjoyment of eating what they have re-created. A great book for all ages and ethnic backrounds. Good food and lots of it!

Great recipes...I orignally bought a copy of this book in 1994 and have tried virtually every recipe in the book. I subsequently purchased a copy in 2006 as a gift for a family member. I asked my family to consider a new tradition in 2006; replacing the standard Christmas dinner with a "Native Harvest" the outcome was brilliant. Consequently my entire family agreed to embrace this concept and pass it along to the children. We found inspiration in the recipes from this truly amazing cook book and an opportunity to honor our ancesters and Native American culture as a whole.

i loved the book it gives you many different ideas to make things out of the ordinary

This is such a well-done book on so many levels. From the recipes and the ancillary information to the fine photography. The recipes are great. I own a number of books on Native American cooking and while the others are good in their own right, they just pale in comparison to the scope and the craft present in this one. If you are going to buy one book on Native American cooking, be sure it is this one. Very, very well done.

Beautiful and informative cookbook, however I was disappointed that the ingredients are hard for me to find as I live in the country. It is not a cookbook that I will use in the kitchen frequently. I was tempted to give it only three stars except it is very well compiled and interesting. Just not useful as I had hoped.

I purchased this cookbook so I could cook something for a Native American presentation in my sociology college course. This book is great because it has lots of pictures and info about where the recipe came from or something else interesting about it. I haven't cooked anything from it yet, but I look foward to using the recipes for everyday cooking in adition to my presentation.

"Spirit of the Harvest" is a beautifully written and photographed book by Beverly Cox and Martin Jacobs. The book was purchased, along with several others, in order to prepare for a Native American Indian program. Each book had something different to offer within the various tribes. However, "Spirit of the Harvest" was by far the most resourceful book. It includes a map of the United States showing where the various tribes were located and the foods that were harvested in those areas. Chapters include: "Native American Foods", "The Southeastern Coast and Woodlands", The Northeastern Coast and Woodlands", "The Great Plains", "The Southwest", and "The West". Each chapter begins with a short history of the various tribes in each region followed by authentic recipes. The refreshments during the program included "Algonguian Maple Popcorn Balls" and the Pueblo Indians "Feast Day Cookies" . They were quite good. There are recipes for soups, stews, vegetables, game, breads, and sweets. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Native American Cooking.

Not only is this book visually beautiful, and educational -- it is the most outstanding collection of North American Indian recipes I have seen in a long time. I have been collecting Native American cookbooks for over 40 years. Spirit of the Harvest is a "Keeper". It is the jewel of my collection. The Hidatsa Stuffed Sugar Pumpkin (featured on the cover) will be the highlight of our Thanksgiving dinner this fall. I was an Adult Outdoor Trainer for many years, love to cook out over open fire. Many of these recipes will bring new smells and tastes to the camping experience, as well as to your kitchen. GREAT BOOK! GREAT FOOD!