I am of the opinion that cook books should be for cooking and for that reason do not like when there is too much story and history. I just want to get to the food.
Some recipes are simple enough but there are some that will cost a fortune due to the ingredients you need to buy and probably will never use again.
A very niche book and more for those who enjoy the history of recipes as well

In “Pantry and Palate: Remembering and Rediscovering Acadian Food,” Simon Thibault delves into his Acadian roots to produce this cookbook and teach us a little about his past history. Acadians are the descendants of French settlers who arrived in North America in the early 1600s and settled around the areas in Canada of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. Recipes are mostly simple, using commonly found ingredients but also include such items as hog heads and such. The most fun part about this book can be found in the stories told, providing a short history behind a recipe, and the beautiful pictures of the completed dishes. The book in a sense, is captivating, drawing one into the time period and causing you to imagine what it must have been like. From the photographs of the food, you get the feeling of being down home.

Some nice recipes but unfortunately this was not to my style of cooking

this book did not download all the way only 30 pages.

TITLE: Reader does not see original recipes. Unfortunately, a mish-mash of heirloom recipes, re-invented by the author.

Thanks to Simon Thibault and his dedication to completing this cookbook, Pantry and Palate, original, treasured Nova Scotian Acadian recipes will NOT appear. Seems outrageous, but this man has taken the originals—not shared them with us—and has instead given us his inexperienced--he has no formal training and cooking seems to be a hobby--take of something that he thinks tastes and looks better.

My issue with this book is that the recipes are re-interpretations by Thibault, and we do not see the original ingredient lists or any instructions that went with them. For instance, while he understands that his predecessors used red beets in their canning, he has substituted Chioggia beets to use in his recipe and photo shot. (He says he used them because they did not stain his hands…) In the same recipe, where there was no salt in the original, he re-invented it with a teaspoon of table salt to “liven it up”. The recipes he gives us are really not authentic Acadian.

Naomi Duguid had written him a lovely Foreward, but I wonder if she ever really got a chance to read any of his recipe introductions where he describes the original in general terms and then gives us a different recipe. The pickled rhubarb recipe originally was “more like chutney” and had “a lot more sugar and used pure white vinegar”. The author gives us a chutney-like recipe that is totally re-designed, plus another one similar to one he tried and liked in “a restaurant.”

Here is what he says about Mustard Pickles: “The one thing I found the most interesting in the original recipe for Mustard Pickles from Tante Lalie’s notebook was the inclusion of tomatoes. I have to say I omitted them.”

In the bread chapter, it is hard to tell where the recipes came from, although the second recipe is Anadama, and the third is his own creation when he ran out of molasses. The Oat Bread recipe is his own, too. There is a Johnny Cake recipe from his Tante Lalie’s notebook, also two white bread recipes, but it is impossible to tell if any liberties were taken with the ingredient lists.

The headcheese recipe: The heirloom recipe he found “gave very little information on the process of making headcheese, so I went digging into my books” and used the suggestions from “The Whole Beast” by Fergus Henderson. Then he created a recipe based on what he learned from “The Whole Beast” and some memories he had. That is “authentic” what?

Thibault writes well; he has a peaceful and thoughtful way of describing his communion with the original recipes and then he dumps them and gives us something different. Not what I was looking for! Unfortunately, it is NOT an important contribution to the study of food culture and history.

The author uses salted butter in the re-interpreted recipes. Why? While he admits that all salted butters have different salt content, “he knows the salt content of the brand he uses.” Huh? How does a reader come to terms with how much salt to add? So, we do not get the amount of salt that was in the original recipe, nor do we have a clue how much salt to add if we use a different brand from the one that he uses. (We never learn the name of the butter he uses….)

*I received a temporary download of this book from the publisher.

Before reading this book I was not aware of the specific cuisine and traditions of the Acadian communities in Canada. The term refers to the earliest European settlers in Canada and covers generally the areas of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Putting together the family traditions, the author created a special collection not only of recipes, but brought together an entire world with its own flavors and eating habits. 'So what is Acadian food? It's food that is humble homey, occasionally homely, and very comforting. It is made with love and devotion and from a larder that is small but mighty. It is made to be eaten'. A recommended read to anyone interesting in testing new recipes, but also discovering old forgotten cultures and the way in which they survived through food and family traditions. The visual part is also entincing, with beautiful photography which contributes to a better representation of the food stories.

“I like to think that all reasons to cook are of equal value and are equally important to transmit.

That’s why this book is in your hands.”

I don’t often review cookbooks, but this one grabbed my attention. Mind you, I own plenty of cookbooks and family recipes, having lived overseas and being a shameless gourmand, many of my memories of each place begins with a favorite meal. I think this cookbook is fabulous. I learned about Acadian food but more importantly, I enjoyed recipes from Thibault’s own family and friends. I think fondly of recipes in my own family that has exchanged hands over the years, (mine is Hungarian) but it’s as important to our history as anything else. My husband’s family is of French-Canadian descent, and the Meat Pie recipe in this cookbook is similar to the one my father-in-law passed down to me. Potato Pancakes always makes my mouth water, my family has their version too, just made some last month. Did I mention the photos in this cookbook are beautiful? I’m starving right now, never review a cookbook when you’re hungry.

His stories are lovely, particularly the one about how he called his mom with cooking questions. I consider myself a decent cook, and I still asks my mother questions too. Mothers are the source, I guess. The recipes are written so that anyone can give it a go. Certainly comfort food, my favorite! I’ve started a garden this past year, so the canning section is a plus for me. Though I received this as an ARC, I intend on buying the book for my cookbook collection. The section about rendering pork fat takes me back to discussions with my own grandmother about lard and it’s importance in many recipes. Trust me, I’ve heard how our flour in America is just terrible compared to the flour she cooked with in Europe and how much of a difference in makes in the lightness of her pastries (cooking with our flour it’s too heavy for her liking).

Old recipes sometimes seem simple, but I have cooked complicated meals as much as the ‘easy ones’. Fancy doesn’t always win.

I enjoyed the stories Simon Thibault shared, food is an important bond in most cultures, and it’s funny to think you can get misty eyed over a cook book but there you go. Folklore, family history, delicious dishes from the Arcadian pantry. Darn I am craving meat pies now.

Available Now

Nimbus Publishing

The purpose of a cookbook is, of course, to introduce new recipes and teach readers how to make those recipes. However, every once in a while, a cookbook comes along that is also fascinating to read. Pantry and Palate: Remembering and Rediscovering Acadian Food is once such cookbook. Acadian food is a mystery to many of us, and after reading this excellent cookbook, most will want to prepare Acadian food at home and introduce it to loved ones.

This book includes Canadian classics such as French Canadian Tourtière. There is a excellent recipe for Rhubarb Custard Pie, as well as one for Cranberry Pudding which is perfect for the holidays. The recipe for Scalloped Cabbage is very good and is a perfect winter side dish. There is also a section on breads that are unique and tasty.

The recipes are easy to follow and understand. There are beautiful pictures so cooks can see what their finished dishes should look like. There are also pictures of local color as well as some antique recipes, which gives some personality to the book.

For those who may not be in the mood to cook, this is a great book to read while curling up in a warm corner on a lazy day. On days when one feels adventurous, it contains plenty of mouthwatering recipes and inspiring pictures to satisfy everyone. None of the recipes are particularly difficult, so this is a book suitable for beginning cooks all the way up to advanced; there are recipes that will appeal to everyone, and the recipes actually turn out as expected. Pantry and Palate: Remembering and Rediscovering Acadian Food will be a nice addition to any cookbook collection.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

I would buy this book in a minute even though I had trouble reading the pdf. The photographs are beautiful, the history is fascinating, and the dishes look fantastic.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

This book is part cookbook and part history lesson. It's fascinating to see regional dishes displayed in their own book. I think many home cooks have interesting stories surrounding their family recipes, and it's so neat to see Mr Thibault's. Although I would not attempt many of these recipes (mostly to do with needing to find hog heads) it's important to have them captured and preserved for future generations. An interesting and informative book!

The photos in this cookbook are gorgeous, and the recipes are approachable to all levels of cooks. What I enjoyed most about this cookbook is that it's a loving tribute to family history. I enjoyed the author's use of family recipes, photos, and handwritten cooking directions. This cookbook makes genealogy come alive for our current times.

As a genealogist, it was fascinating to read the author's explanation of how Acadians introduce themselves, tracing family names back several generations. As a home cook, I wanted to dive right in and prepare the delicious sounding foods. This cookbook will be a welcome addition to any kitchen library.

The galley was truncated, only included the book up to page 37. As such, I don't know that I can give a very complete review. I will keep it in mind for my cookery-minded patrons.

Showing its definite French roots, this is a heartfelt produced volume with so many Acadian-influenced dishes from Eastern Canada. Family recipes are offered, and all sound delicious, and also easy to make. Wonderful!

In the review copy only preserve section was given. It was great to read about the Acadian recipes......

I loved the introduction to this book" It's hard to talk about food and not talk about family". I learned a lot about Acadians (first French settlers to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and PE Island), and Acadian food according to the author is "humble, homey, occasionally homely, and very comforting". It's not food that I'm immediately attracted to based on my own background (Caribbean), but it's a book full of great history, information, and different foods.

It had a great historical introduction but hard to evaluate a cookbook when the evaluating copy sent only includes one recipe as the ARC only gives the reviewer access to approximate 1/4 of the actual book. For what I could evaluate, I would give it 3 stars.

I first have to say there were like one to two recipes I would try in this book. I tend to read my cookbooks like a love story, so the family history in this book drew me in and I fully enjoyed it. I also found some great tips. So even though the food didn't make me think I have to try that. I still plan to purchase the book because I was moved by family

This is an interesting and visually attractive recipe book where old family recipes go together with a historical and cultural view of Acadians.