The Raincoast Kitchen: Coastal Cuisine with a Dash of History

Ann Turner is the financial and budget manager of the University of
British Columbia Library.

The British Columbia raincoast, extending also into Alaska and
Washington State, has been home to a great variety of peoples. They have
left their marks on the economic and social history of the region, and
their cuisines live on in the family favorite recipes and restaurant
specialties of today. A project of the Campbell River Museum volunteers,
this cookbook brings together 154 recipes from appetizers to desserts
that have that special West Coast flavor. Though many have their origins
in the First Nations communities, logging camps, and fishing lodges of
yesteryear, these are contemporary recipes. With the exception of a few
game dishes, most of the ingredients are available in any supermarket
year-round. Seafood is featured in abundance, reflecting its widespread
availability on the raincoast and its popularity in the home cuisines of
European and Asian immigrants and visitors. The recipes are clearly laid
out, with measures in both imperial and metric. Yields are in the four-
to six-serving range. The index integrates entries under recipe title,
principal ingredient, place names, personal names, and general
historical and cultural topics. But this is more than a cookbook. Each
recipe is set in a context of historical notes and related selections
from the Museum’s oral-history and historical-photographs collections.
The result is a delightful collection for browsing and sampling,
bringing history to life in a most appealing way.