Pantry and Palate: Remembering and Rediscovering Acadian Food

Journalist Thibault explores the food of his Acadian ancestors on the Canadian East Coast in this beautiful cookbook and culinary history. With a notebook of handwritten recipes from his grandmother, he set out to research, record, and relive Acadian cuisine, testing out recipes in his kitchen and augmenting his trial and error with occasional calls to his mother. The result is a grand testimonial to Acadian cooks of generations past and a time capsule that preserves Acadian home-cooking. The recipes—including pickled rhubarb, bran bread, Cajun fricot, and clam pie—are heavy, hearty, and an intriguing mix of Old World basics and New World influences, evidence of a unique, yet ever-morphing cuisine. Glorious, moody photos show off the food, and vintage black-and-white images give glimpses into the Acadian past. The recipes aren’t for everyone; a meat pie has to be made over two days, fresh Irish moss is required for blancmange, and headcheese and boudin will likely turn off non-adventurous eaters. But even if readers don’t use every recipe, Thibault’s culinary escapades are fascinating. (Nov.)