The Great Nova Scotia Cookbook

Susan Cleyle is a systems librarian in the Queen Elizabeth II Library,
Memorial University of Newfoundland.

With little time in the day left for meals, people are looking for a
wide variety of flavors to spice up their lives. Pauline Carter delivers
this in The Great Nova Scotia Cookbook, a compendium of recipes that
reflect a wide range of ethnic and traditional influences in that
province. The collection is ideal for planning a meal or finding that
side dish to complement other cooking ideas.

The book is divided into the following sections: Introduction,
Appetizers, Salads, Soups and Chowders, Main Courses, Vegetables,
Breads, Desserts, Cakes, Squares and Cookies, Confections, Preserves,
Beverages, Breakfasts, and Recipes for Kids. An index at the back of the
book arranges recipes by food category. Multiple recipes are often found
on a single page. Sparse, hand-drawn images are used to illustrate some
of the recipes. The use of recipe classification and icons
(“Traditional,” Trendy,” and “Best”) to provide assistance in
choosing a meal is questionable. Another deficiency is the fact that
some ingredients listed are omitted as part of the recipe instructions.

Shortcomings aside, the cookbook contains some very interesting
recipes. Standards like apple pie can be found along with Moroccan
Crepes, Chicken а la King, Smoked Salmon Tatar, Solomon Gundy, and
Blueberry Muffins. The wide variety of recipes allows for the creation
of unique and exciting meal combinations.