Fall Flavours: Seasonal Recipes from Canada’s Best Chefs

Debbie Feisst is the reference/Internet resources librarian in the
Information Services Division of the Edmonton Public Library.

Sisters Elaine Elliot and Virginia Lee follow up their popular Summer
Flavours: Recipes from the Best Maritime Kitchens (2002) with this
collection of autumn-inspired recipes.

The fall foods one expects to see are all here, including pumpkin,
squash, and, of course, apples. Basic recipes for beverages and
condiments are also included, such as Mulled Apple Cider, Peppercorn
Sauce, and Pickled Beets. And there are some nice surprises, such as
Carrot Cake with White Chocolate Icing.

The recipes are divided into eight sections: “Appetizers and
Beverages,” “Breads and Breakfast Foods,” “Soups and Salads,”
“Lunch,” “Entrees,” “Sides,” “Desserts,” and
“Preserves and Condiments.” Each section has an introduction that
highlights variations or menu suggestions. Recipes include Mulled
Niagara Merlot with Pear, Old-Fashioned Molasses Brown Bread, Roasted
Yam and Pear Soup, Mussels in Love, Arctic Char with Roasted Root
Vegetables, Rutabaga and Apple Puree, and Chocolate Potato Cake. While
the recipes are aimed at intermediate cooks and beyond, the instructions
are easy to follow and the ingredients easily attainable. The recipes
are generally designed to produce four to six servings.

A nice touch is the addition of wine suggestions for each entree. Most
of the recipes have brief introductory comments or tips. Numerous
full-colour—albeit somewhat dated-looking—photographs of the
completed dishes and some inspirational fall scenes set the mood. The
part of the subtitle that refers to “Canada,” however, is somewhat
misleading: there are no recipes from chefs in the Prairies or the
North. Nonetheless, Fall Flavours gives us an excellent reason to look
forward to autumn.