Product Description
Canadians at Table is an introduction to the diverse culinary history of Canada.We learn about the lessons of survival of the First Nations, the foods that fuelled the fur traders, and the adaptability of the early settlers in their new environment. As communities developed and transportation improved, waves of newcomers arrived, bringing their memories of foods, beverages, and traditions they had known, which were almost impossible to implement in their new homeland.They learned instead to use native plants for many of their needs. Community events and institutions developed to serve religious, social, and economic needs — from agricultural and temperance societies to Women's Institutes, from markets and fairs to community meals and celebrations.
One New World food, pemmican — a light, durable, and highly nourishing blend of dried and powdered buffalo, elk, or deer meat that is mixed with dried berries, packed into a leather bag, then sealed with grease — was introduced by the First Nations to the fur traders coming to Canada. Small amounts of pemmican replaced large amounts of regular food, freeing up precious hunting and food preparation time and allowing more space to carry additional furs and trade goods.
From the self-sufficient First Nations and early settlers to the convenience foods of today, Canadians at Table gives us an overview of one of the most unique and fascinating food histories in the world and how it continues to change to serve Canadians from coast to coast.
About the Author
Dorothy Duncan began her career as an elementary school teacher, and it was as a teacher-guide and curator at Black Creek Pioneer Village that her love of history and her passion for food led her into the world of culinary history. As a Museums Advisor for the Province of Ontario and Executive Director of the Ontario Historical Society, she worked with organizations across Canada and around the world to ensure that Canada's culinary history was recognized, researched, and recorded. Dorothy has lectured internationally on Canada's heritage foods and customs, including at the Culinary Institute of America and at the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery in England. She was the Toronto Women's Culinary Network's Woman of the Year, and in 2006 she was chosen by the Ontario Hostelry Institute to receive the Gold Award for Media and Publishing. Nothing More Comforting: Canada's Heritage Food, Dorothy's first book for Dundurn, was published in 2003 to wide acclaim.
