By Christine Salins.
Taste the Wild: Recipes and Stories From Canada is for anyone who has fallen in love not just with Canada’s incredible landscapes but also with its fantastic food.
Published by Murdoch Books ($49.99), this beautifully presented ode to Canada comes from German design duo, Lisa Nieschlag and Lars Wentrup, who also produced New York: Capital of Food, New York Christmas Baking and the best-selling New York Christmas – all utterly gorgeous books that had you wanting to hop on the first plane to the Big Apple.
With Taste the Wild, they leave the city behind for an adventure in the wilderness, interspersing the recipes with breathtaking shots that were taken on location in the National Parks of Vancouver and Banff.
The lakes, cascading waterfalls, rivers, canyons, mountains and forests for which Canada is renowned set the scene for a delicious assortment of recipes, from a decadent Whisky Roast Chicken to Cinnamon Scrolls with Bacon, Pumpkin Spice Muffins and a delightfully easy No-Knead Bread.
Whether it’s fluffy Blueberry Pancakes with Maple Syrup, tender Salmon Fillet on a cedarwood plank, the hearty campfire stew with craft beer featured here, or the unique national dish of Canada, poutine, the ingredients and recipes are drawn from a well of simplicity and ingenuity, abundance and restraint.
Being a country that has welcomed immigrants from all over the world, Canada is a culinary melting pot, and this cauldron goulash – based on the traditional Hungarian dish – is a testament to that.
A particularly nice touch is that there are some short extracts from authors Charles Dickens, Margaret Atwood, Chris Czajkowski and Anne Michaels, themed around the Canadian landscape. Dip into this lovely book and flavour your home with a taste of the Canadian wilderness.
Cauldron Goulash With Pale Ale
Serves 4 to 6
1 onion
1 large garlic clove
1 carrot
100 g celeriac
1 kg diced beef
Salt
Ground paprika
3 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup (250 ml) pale ale
250g jar tomato passata (puréed tomatoes)
2 juniper berries
1 red capsicum
2 tbsp maple syrup
Freshly ground black pepper
Thyme, for garnish
Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic clove. Peel and finely dice the carrot and celeriac. Pat the beef dry and cut into bite-sized pieces, if necessary. Season the meat with salt and paprika. Place a large roasting tin over high heat, add the oil and beef and sear.
Remove the meat as soon as it has browned all over. Add the onion, garlic, carrot and celeriac to the tin and briefly fry. Stir in the tomato paste and briefly cook. Return the meat to the tin and deglaze everything with the pale ale and passata. Add the juniper berries. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the goulash for about 2 hours until the meat is tender but does not fall apart.
Meanwhile, wash the capsicum and cut into thin strips, removing the seeds and any white membrane. Add to the goulash 15 minutes before the meat is done. Season the goulash with maple syrup, salt and pepper before serving and remove the juniper berries. Serve garnished with thyme.
Recipe and images from Taste the Wild: Recipes and Stories From Canada, by Lisa Nieschlag and Lars Wentrup, published by Murdoch Books.
