Tawâw

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.