Tawâw - by Shane M Chartrand (Hardcover)

About the Book

"tawãaw [ta-wow; Cree]: "Welcome, there is room." Indigenous cuisine, like other aspects of Indigenous cultures, is now reawakening with a fresh vitality and creative energy unlike anything we've seen in decades. With Tawãaw: Progressive Indigenous Cuisine, acclaimed chef Shane Chartrand hopes to ignite the imagination of a new generation of culinary talent who will create a more inclusive understanding of what it means to cook, eat, and share food in our homes, in our communities, and in our restaurants. Born to Cree parents and raised by a Mâetis father and Mi'kmaq/British mother, Chartrand has spent the past fifteen years learning about his history, visiting with other First Nations peoples, gathering and sharing knowledge and stories, and creating dishes that combine his diverse interests and express his unique personality. The result is Tawãaw, a gorgeous book that traces Chartrand's culinary journey from his childhood in Central Alberta, where he learned to raise livestock, hunt, and fish on his family's acreage, to his current position as executive chef at the acclaimed SC Restaurant in the River Cree Resort & Casino in Enoch, Alberta, on Treaty 6 Territory. Containing over seventy-five recipes along with personal stories, interviews with Chartrand's culinary influences and family members, and contemporary and archival photographs of his journey, Tawãaw is part cookbook, part exploration of ingredients and techniques, and part chef's personal journal -- a visionary book that will invite readers to leaf through its pages for ideas, education, recipes, and inspiration."--

Book Synopsis

tawâw [pronounced ta-WOW]:
Come in, you're welcome, there's room.

Acclaimed chef Shane M. Chartrand's debut cookbook explores the reawakening of Indigenous cuisine and what it means to cook, eat, and share food in our homes and communities.

Born to Cree parents and raised by a Métis father and Mi'kmaw-Irish mother, Shane M. Chartrand has spent the past ten years learning about his history, visiting with other First Nations peoples, gathering and sharing knowledge and stories, and creating dishes that combine his interests and express his personality. The result is tawâw: Progressive Indigenous Cuisine, a book that traces Chartrand's culinary journey from his childhood in Central Alberta, where he learned to raise livestock, hunt, and fish on his family's acreage, to his current position as executive chef at the acclaimed SC Restaurant in the River Cree Resort & Casino in Enoch, Alberta, on Treaty 6 Territory.

Containing over seventy-five recipes -- including Chartrand's award-winning dish "War Paint" -- along with personal stories, culinary influences, and interviews with family members, tawâw is part cookbook, part exploration of ingredients and techniques, and part chef's personal journal.

Review Quotes

"The recipes are wonderful, representing a variety of ideas ... Chef Chartrand set out to create a cookbook that expresses his personality and that replicates how he learned about his own identity and history. He is part of a group of Indigenous chefs from Canada and the United States who are taking back the Indigenous culture that was stolen from them. tawâw: Progressive Indigenous Cuisine is a welcome voice in the ongoing conversation about the resurgence of Indigenous culture and food." -- Foreword Reviews