Craig Flinn’s cookbook Fresh Canadian Bistro offers a delectable snapshot of Canadian cuisine from east to west. In compiling recipes for the book, Flinn spoke to chefs across Canada, all with a similar philosophy of using local and seasonal flair to put their own stamp on traditional bistro dishes and Canadian fare, such as Gratineed French Pumpkin Soup, Foie Gras Poutine, and Bison Hump and Saskatoon Berry Perogies.
These recipes have been adapted for use by the home chef, but the cookbook does assume a certain level of experience in the kitchen. These aren’t 30-minute meals, nor are many of the recipes particularly wallet-friendly, with ingredients such as duck, foie gras, and lobster appearing in many. The book seems expressly meant for cooking to entertain, and with most of the dishes written to serve six to eight people, the recipes will certainly do justice to a dinner party meant to impress.
Because the book is a compilation of recipes contributed by different chefs, there are often idiosyncrasies in writing style from recipe to recipe. For instance, some recipes only give a time as an indicator for cooking, while others only offer visual cues. The Corn Cob and Aged Cheddar Souffles, for example, needed an extra 5 minutes at 350 in my oven to fully set, and the Herb-Stuffed Chicken recipe would have benefited from more detailed explanation of how to pipe mousseline into a chicken breast. Making things more difficult was the fact that the Corn Cob and Aged Cheddar Souffle recipe did not indicate that the meringue should be folded into the custard. Rather, I had to rely on my own limited knowledge of souffles to know when this should happen.
An enthusiasm for improvising in the kitchen will serve you well if you are interested in working with this cookbook. While most of the dishes are meant for intermediate to advanced home chefs, the extra effort will readily come through in the food served, as both of these recipes were delicious.
Because each chef involved in Fresh Canadian Bistro takes pride in highlighting local, seasonal fare, there is a seasonal index at the back of the book, indicating which ingredients are best found in which season, including a listing of recipes that work well year-round. This is a great help in sourcing of some of the produce involved but as this cookbook features recipes from restaurants whose job it is to tempt you with flavour and decadence, some ingredients will take extra effort to locate, such as the black summer truffle required for Paul Rogalski’s French-Pressed Chicken and Herb Broth with Fresh Black Summer Truffles, or sorrel for Ross and Simon Fraser’s Strawberry Crisp with Honey Sorrel Ice Cream. Whether or not an ingredient substitution is offered depends on the chef, and the book would benefit greatly from a resource index indicating where across Canada to source harder-to-find ingredients.
Overall, Fresh Canadian Bistro is a strong cookbook showcasing the best of Canadian flavours. The resulting dishes are delicious, and while not everyday fare, most are well worth the effort required. In addition, this cookbook provides a comprehensive list of bistro-style restaurants worth trying across the country. The skilled chefs who penned the recipes in Fresh Canadian Bistro have a keen eye for flavour combinations that highlight key ingredients, making for a wonderful dining experience. A few weak points aside, this is a cookbook I am happy to have in my kitchen.
