In the early nineties, friends Daniel Abel, Charles Leary, and Vaughn Perret noticed something significant about Louisiana's culinary landscape: the many of the indigenous foods and techniques that had once been so integral to Cajun and Creole cooking had vanished. Fueled by their appreciation for Old-World French farming and cooking styles, as well as New World native products, the three founded the renowned Chicory Farm and Chicory Farm Cafe. Their distinctive cheeses, mushrooms, and organic produce were soon featured in the best New Orleans restaurants, and brought about a renaissance in small farms and local produce.

Continuing their search for the roots of Cajun/Creole cuisine, in 1996 the trio traveled to an area in Nova Scotia originally known as Acadia, where French settlers early in the seventeenth century founded North America's first culinary society: the Order of Good Cheer. When expelled by the British in the eighteenth century, these French Acadians moved to Louisiana, where they were called Cajuns.

Out of the three partners' trip came the idea for a center for food learning that would also be a vacation destination. Trout Point Lodge, a cooking school and resort located in the spectacular beauty of the Nova Scotia wilderness, was born. Called extraordinary by Food & Wine magazine, Trout Point has become one of the premier culinary destinations in North America.

The Trout Point Lodge Cookbook explores the fascinating merging of the Creole, Cajun, and Acadian cuisines-what the authors call New World Creole. Cooking with the most diverse, healthful, and fresh ingredients, the authors present original and enticing dishes tailored for the home cook. Hereyou'll find recipes for Wild Mushroom Pate, Finnan Haddie Jambalaya, Cashew Chili, Lime-Grilled Cattail Root, Sesame and Dill--Encrusted Haddock, and Blueberry Bread Pudding.

Historical and cultural tidbits, useful sidebars, and unique cooking tips-such as how to forage safely for wild mushrooms and how to smoke fish-complement the delicious culinary creations within these pages. Beautifully illustrated with photographs of the amazing dishes, the dramatic wilderness, and the stunning lodge itself, this unique and inspiring cookbook brings a new cuisine-New World Creole-to the table.

"The three authors — founders of Trout Point Lodge, as well as the Inn at Coyote Mountain in Costa Rica and the Granada Cooking School in Spain — successfully merge the flavors of their native Louisiana with ingredients indigenous to Nova Scotia, where the inn and cooking school of the title sits on 200 acres of Acadian forest. The book opens with a stern warning to eat wild plants or mushrooms only with 'expert guidance,' and for good reason: dishes such as Mussels Cooked in Pine Needles; Bullrush Blinis Topped with Salmon, Crme Frache and Beluga Caviar (made with bullrush flour you grind yourself); and Yellow Water Lily Leaves Stuffed with Purple Rice are so intriguing, overzealous readers may be tempted to forage unwisely. Seafood is a strong point; there's an entire chapter on smoking it, which includes instructions for making Salmon Bacon; and recipes like Crawfish and Carrot Jambalaya and Spicy Cornmeal-Crusted Scallops with Wild Sweet Fern Butter do a bang-up job of merging two cultures on the plate. Although desserts aren't as inventive as the savory fare, and occasionally the authors exaggerate the availability of ingredients like the beans in Sea Bean and Mussel Salad, this book's enticing food is notable for its originality and quality. Photos. Agent, Dystel and Goderich. (On sale Nov. 23)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information, Inc.)

From Sugarcane Vinaigrette to Tuna Daube to Smoked Trout Cakes, Abel, Leary, and Perret are up to their usual brilliant adaptations of Louisiana cooking. They know it’s best to create dishes with a rich understanding of the past. Ever since these guys started showing up at the back door of Commander’s Palace with some of the best cheese we’ve tasted, we’ve known they do it right. These are our kind of guys and this is our kind of cookbook.”

–ELLA BRENNAN and TI ADELAIDE MARTIN, Commander’s Palace

“In New Orleans, we know that Creole is the original ‘fusion’ cuisine, and therefore ripe for exploration and expansion. In The Trout Point Lodge Cookbook, Abel, Leary, and Perret have forged a new road for the future of Creole cuisine by lovingly exploring its past. They know that great cuisine is timeless, yet reflects the evolution of taste. Enjoy a fresh look at fresh foods with the gentlemen from Trout Point Lodge.”

–FRANK BRIGTSEN, Brigtsen’s Restaurant

“The Trout Point Lodge Cookbook provides yet another example of how the grand culinary traditions of the Creole style have been successfully adapted to different geographic and cultural circumstances. And it does so with clarity, grace, and recipes that are true to the spirit and the vivid flavors of Creole gastronomy.”

–GENE BOURG, food critic