Lindy Mechefske’s Sir John’s Table: The Culinary Life & Times of Canada’s First Prime Minister offers a delectable fusion of biography and culinary history, presenting an intimate portrait of Sir John A. Macdonald through the foods that shaped his life and era. This 232-page narrative, which earned the 2016 Taste Canada Gold Medal for Culinary Narrative, invites readers to explore 19th-century Canada via its kitchens, dining rooms, and picnic grounds.
Mechefske traces Macdonald’s journey from his Scottish roots to his political ascent in Canada, using food as a lens to examine his personal and public life. The book delves into his early experiences with meager rations during his voyage to Upper Canada and culminates in the lavish state dinners he hosted as Prime Minister. Alongside these narratives, Mechefske includes heritage recipes sourced from historical cookbooks like The Cook Not Mad and Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management, offering readers a taste of the era’s culinary practices.
We get a glimpse into the role of food during early settler times when ingredients were not only sourced for nutrition but for medicinal purposes as well. Some fun titles include remedies For a Caked Breast, Gravel or Sand in Urine, To Expel Nameless Intruders from Children’s Heads or Artificial Asses Milk. Oh my! For your modern-day enjoyment, the author suggested we try the Classic Montreal Tourtiere in our Recipe section.
We met author Lindy Mechefske through her other two works, Ontario Picnics (Nimbus Publishing) at https://canadiancookbooks.ca/ontario-picnics-2/ and again in her latest book, Walk, Eat, Repeat at https://canadiancookbooks.ca/walk-eat-repeat/ You can purchase her books at https://gooselane.com/collections/vendors?q=Lindy%20Mechefske as well as winning a copy of Sir John’s Table in our Giveaway section.
While some readers might find the unadapted historical recipes more of a curiosity than practical guides, they serve to enhance the authenticity of the narrative and provide a deeper understanding of 19th-century cooking methods. Sir John’s Table stands out as a richly textured work that combines meticulous research with storytelling flair, offering a unique perspective on Canada’s first Prime Minister and the culinary landscape of his time. Happy Canada Day!
Contents and images used with permission by author Lindy Mechefske and Goose Lane Editions. https://gooselane.com/products/sir-johns-table
