A Cookbook for Dolly Watts

WHERE PEOPLE FEAST: AN INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S COOKBOOK
by Dolly and Annie Watts,
Arsenal Pulp Press, April 2007, $24.95

For almost 20 years, Dolly Watts and her daughter Annie, members of the Git’ksan First Nation, ran the Lilliget Feast House in Vancouver. With its menu of items such as salmon smoked according to tribal methods, bannock bread, and soups and desserts made from local wild berries, it was the only Native American fine dining establishment of its kind, even earning a four-star recommendation from the New York Times.

But times changed, the rent on the lease rocketed skyward and the Wattses decided it was time to take a break from the restaurant business. Which gave them the time to pen this recipe book featuring the food traditions of the North American indigenous people.

As Dolly Watts explains, food is a major focal point in Native American culture because it is the centre of celebration and ceremony – what connects the people to family, community, and the afterlife.

Their book, Where People Feast: An Indigenous People’s Cookbook, concentrates on the Canadian westcoast Native cuisine, which takes advantage of the area’s seasonal abundance of seafood, game, fruits and vegetables.

Look for traditional yet modern recipes along the lines of smoked salmon mousse, venison meatballs, alder-grilled breast of pheasant, blackberry-glazed beets, seaweed and salmon roe soup, wild rice pancakes, Indian “tacos� and wild blueberry cobbler.

Can the ladies cook? For those who forget, in 2004 Dolly Watts was declared the winner on an episode of the Food Network’s Iron Chef. So she can match Rob Feenie in that trophy room.

The book is expected to be in the stores by April, 2007.

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Coming up later today - Part II of The Top Trends of 2006