tawâw

tawâw

Progressive Indigenous Cuisine

With: Cockrall-King, Jennifer

tawâw [pronounced ta-WOW]:
Come in, you’re welcome, there’s room.

Acclaimed chef Shane M. Chartrand’s debut cookbook explores the reawakening of Indigenous cuisine and what it means to cook, eat, and share food in our homes and communities.

Born to Cree parents and raised by a Métis father and Mi’kmaw-Irish mother, Shane M. Chartrand has spent the past ten years learning about his history, visiting with other First Nations peoples, gathering and sharing knowledge and stories, and creating dishes that combine his interests and express his personality. The result is tawâw: Progressive Indigenous Cuisine, a 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 — including Chartrand’s award-winning dish “War Paint” — along with personal stories, culinary influences, and interviews with family members, tawâw is part cookbook, part exploration of ingredients and techniques, and part chef’s personal journal.

tawâw [pronounced ta-WOW]:
Come in, you’re welcome, there’s room.

Acclaimed chef Shane M. Chartrand’s debut cookbook explores the reawakening of Indigenous cuisine and what it means to cook, eat, and share food in our homes and communities.

Born to Cree parents and raised by a Métis father and Mi’kmaw-Irish mother, Shane M. Chartrand has spent the past ten years learning about his history, visiting with other First Nations peoples, gathering and sharing knowledge and stories, and creating dishes that combine his interests and express his personality. The result is tawâw: Progressive Indigenous Cuisine, a 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 — including Chartrand’s award-winning dish “War Paint” — along with personal stories, culinary influences, and interviews with family members, tawâw is part cookbook, part exploration of ingredients and techniques, and part chef’s personal journal.

Published By House of Anansi Press Inc — Oct 1, 2019
Specifications 304 pages | 8 in x 10 in
Written By

SHANE M. CHARTRAND, of the Enoch Cree Nation, is at the forefront of the re-emergence of Indigenous cuisine in North America. Raised in Central Alberta, where he learned to respect food through raising livestock, hunting, and fishing on his family’s acreage, Chartrand relocated to Edmonton as a young man to pursue culinary training. In 2015, Chartrand was invited to participate in the prestigious international chef contingent of Cook It Raw, and has since competed on Food Network Canada’s Iron Chef Canada and Chopped Canada. For over a decade, he has been on a personal culinary journey to figure out what it means to be of Cree ancestry and Métis upbringing and be a professional chef living and working on Treaty 6 Territory.

Written By

SHANE M. CHARTRAND, of the Enoch Cree Nation, is at the forefront of the re-emergence of Indigenous cuisine in North America. Raised in Central Alberta, where he learned to respect food through raising livestock, hunting, and fishing on his family’s acreage, Chartrand relocated to Edmonton as a young man to pursue culinary training. In 2015, Chartrand was invited to participate in the prestigious international chef contingent of Cook It Raw, and has since competed on Food Network Canada’s Iron Chef Canada and Chopped Canada. For over a decade, he has been on a personal culinary journey to figure out what it means to be of Cree ancestry and Métis upbringing and be a professional chef living and working on Treaty 6 Territory.

Winner, Best in the World — Innovative, Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, 2019

Winner, Innovative Gourmand World Cookbook Award, 2019

“The recipes are wonderful, representing a variety of ideas … Chef Chartrand set out to create a cookbook that expresses his personality and that replicates how he learned about his own identity and history. He is part of a group of Indigenous chefs from Canada and the United States who are taking back the Indigenous culture that was stolen from them. tawâw: Progressive Indigenous Cuisine is a welcome voice in the ongoing conversation about the resurgence of Indigenous culture and food.” —Foreword Reviews


“I’m so happy to see Chef Shane Chartrand’s creative work elevating and bringing awareness to the importance of our Indigenous foods. We need more Native voices and role models like him to help empower and inspire the next generation of Indigenous chefs!” —Sean Sherman, chef/founder, the Sioux Chef™ and the Indigenous Food Lab, and co-author of The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen

“Shane understands the cultural importance of food. For him, cooking is a ceremonial act and an act of respect — for the land we use, the animals we eat, and the people who share our tables. We all need to think more about this aspect of our food, and tawâw will help make that happen.” —Alessandro Porcelli, founder and director of Cook It Raw

“Chef Shane Chartrand greets life with open arms and a sense of discovery that translates into one of the most inspirational and deeply personal food books I’ve ever read. tawâw is poised to become a must-have classic in any serious culinary library.” —Anita Stewart, chef, author, and founder of Food Day Canada

“I first met Shane during a chef’s retreat in Kananaskis Country, surrounded by the majesty of the Rocky Mountains. Through him, I learned the importance of traditional Indigenous thinking and approaches to food, which continues to influence and guide the uniqueness of Albertan cuisine today. I’m so happy that Shane and Jennifer have captured these ideas in tawâw for us all to savour. Bravo!” —Jamie Kennedy, chef/founder, Jamie Kennedy Kitchens, and author of J.K.: The Jamie Kennedy Cookbook

“Chef Chartrand’s recipes are like the food he serves: each dish is a delicious journey that connects us to nêhiyaw/Métis ways of life. tawâw draws us in the way Shane welcomes us into his restaurant — with warmth, good stories, and an abundance of great food.” —Patti LaBoucane-Benson, director of research at the Native Counselling Services of Alberta, and author of The Outside Circle

“I have always respected Shane’s focus, dedication to his craft, and pride for his Indigenous culture, heritage, and food. Shane understands the need to tell his stories, to have them heard, and to make them delicious. With tawâw, he has placed his stamp firmly on the future of food in this country.” —Ned Bell, chef, TV personality, and author of Lure: Sustainable Seafood Recipes from the West Coast

“Beautiful aesthetically and altruistically … [tawâw] is deeply entertaining, combining elements of historic truths that are sometimes difficult to accept with a delightful story of a young person finding a calling in the culinary world.” —Gonzo Okanagan