Nova Scotia Cookery, Then and Now: Modern Interpretations of Heritage Recipes

Mansour (Alexandra’s Lebanese Cooking) uses her talents as writer, editor, and documentary film researcher to make a beautiful and eloquent modern-day connection to Nova Scotia’s history with recipes that date back as far as 1786. Working with the staff of the Nova Scotia Archives, Mansour selected 80 recipes from the archive’s online exhibit of about 1,000 historical recipes, aiming to represent various eras, geographic regions, and distinct ethnic groups, including the Mi’kmaq First Nation, African Nova Scotians, and Acadians. Mansour then asked 25 respected chefs from across the province to put modern twists on the recipes. Andrew Prince took a 1786 recipe for “Irish Potatoe Puding” and made potato crème brûlée, and Chris Bolt transformed a 1922 recipe for mulligatawny soup into Indian curry soup. Alongside each recipe reinterpretation, Mansour includes a photograph of the original recipe; these are notable for their imaginative titles, dramatic handwriting, and evocative notes. The book is greatly enhanced by archival photos of Nova Scotia and gorgeous food photography. Recipes call for Nova Scotia products such as Acadian maple syrup or Ironworks Distillery black rum, but they are easy to substitute for. The past and present come together here for a delicious culinary adventure. (Apr.)