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Canada's cooking described in words, recipes and pictures, decade by decade, including examples of the popular cookbooks of the period -- a feast for the eyes and the palate, and a culinary history of the country.
After taking her readers through a simple meal and the intricate stories of each ingredient in Much Depends on Dinner (1986), Margaret Visser goes on in The Rituals of Dinner, to describe in detail why we obey the rules of eating, how table manners are taught, and the importance of etiquette.
An historian, researcher and restorer of heritage homes, Dorothy Duncan developed a special interest in pioneer food and drink as curator of Black Creek Pioneer Village. This small book is her "introduction to our long tradition of food, fellowship, and sharing in Canada" (p. 10). Each chapter extols a favourite Canadian food, outlines its history and includes early recipes.
A good basic book is always needed, and Soeur Berthe's is one of the best. Its clear photographs of cooking techniques make it a valuable guide for beginning cooks.