I’m not sure I’d want to attempt cooking without modern
conveniences like a food processor and bottles of oil and jars
of spices at hand, but it’s so interesting to learn about the
techniques and ingredients used by Native Americans in the days
before Columbus arrived. I received a review copy of Spirit of
the Harvest, a James Beard and IACP award-winning book, and it
describes the foods of Native American Indians from each part of
what is now the US. The book is organized by region with recipes
and information from the tribes that lived in each area.
Traditional approaches to the dishes are explained, but the
recipes themselves have been adapted to more contemporary
practices. You won’t need to procure bear fat which was used for
cooking some of these dishes in the traditional manner since
these days vegetable oil, or if you prefer bacon fat, can be
used instead. Primary ingredients are kept the same for the most
part though. I didn’t realize Jerusalem artichokes are native to
this land, and the Cherokee use