The Sweetgrass Aboriginal Bistro and Native American Cuisine Today

In 1491 the 110 or 120 million residence of Turtle Island (today’s Americas) ate a varied diet derived from agriculture, gathering and hunting. But what or where, it was truly a native cuisine. Indigenous to their locality, taste and dietary needs. The arrival of Europeans added to the totality of the food of the Americas. For every food item introduced to the Native American population ten or more were taken back to Europe, Africa and Asia. In the passage of time most of these expatriated items became part of European, African and Asian cuisines. So too did the items brought to the Americas from Europe, Africa and Asia become a part of the local diet and cuisine of the native population. This trading of tastes or fusion has placed a mark upon both Europe and America. Two recognized Native cuisines here in North America arose, that of Mexico and the related Southwestern (http://nativecuisine.spaces.live.com/). Both these are mainly based upon Native American experience. Some cuisines such as the Creole, Cajun, Caribbean and others have been influenced by Native America as populations intermingled.

Historic Native American Cuisine includes all food practices of the native peoples of the Americas. Information about Native American cuisine comes from a great variety of sources. Modern day North American Native people retain a rich body of traditional foods, some of which have become iconic of present-day Native American social gatherings (for example, frybread and pazole). Foods like cornbread, turkey, succotash, maple sugar, cranberry, blueberry, hominy, grits and mush are known to have been adopted into the cuisine of North America from Native American groups. In other cases, documents from the early periods of contact with European, African, and Asian peoples allow the recovery of food practices which passed out of popularity in the historic period (for example, Black Drink). Archaeological techniques, particularly in the sub disciplines of zooarchaeology and paleoethnobotany, have allowed for the understanding of other culinary practices or preferred foods which did not survive into the written historic record.

Native American Cuisine today can cover as wide of range as the imagination of the chef that adopts this cuisine to present tastes. The use of indigenous domesticated and wild food ingredients can represent Native American food and cuisine. North American Native Cuisine can differ somewhat from Southwestern and Mexican Cuisine in its simplicity and directness of flavor. The use of ramps, wild ginger, miners’ lettuce, watercress, wild mint, maple, berries, wild grapes, nuts, spice bush, wild turnip, azafran and juniper can impart subtle flavours to a dish. Native American food is not a historic subject but one of living flavours and ideas. A chef preparing a Native American dish can adopt, create, and alter as his imagination dictates. If he wishes to name it Native American, he may let his hat fall where it will. If the world can liberally borrow from Native Americans and not loose its identity then so can Native American chefs borrow and or reclaim it as a Native dish.

Here is featured, as an example, the menu of Ottawa, Ontario’s Aboriginal Sweetgrass Bistro. With Sweetgrass you can experience the traditional dishes of North America’s original Peoples, Ottawa’s first aboriginal cuisine. Sweetgrass embraces the dishes with traditional methods and ingredients that encompass a fine meal for any appetite. From preparation to serving on a hot plate, the care put into the dishes will leave no doubt for satisfaction. This is all proudly presented by Chef Owners Warren & Phoebe Sutherland.

Lunch Menu Winter 2007
SOUP OF THE DAY
MEXICAN MUSHROOM SOUP
MIXED GREEN SALAD Inuit crowberry tea and lemon vinaigrette
GATHERING NATIONS SALAD 3 Lettuce, frisee, peppers, carrots, onions dressed a w/ maple mustard vinaigrette. Topped with pepitas and sunflower seeds
WINTER VEGETABLE SALAD Bryson greens, grilled carrots, roasted peppers, roasted beets, pickled mushrooms, pinion nuts
MAINS
POWWOW TRAIL INDIAN TACO Navajo fry bread topped with ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, salsa and sour cream
SEASONED CARIBOU BURGER Choice of toppings: Bacon, caramelized onions or sautéed mushrooms Cheeses: smoked buffalo- milk mozzarella, cheddar cheese or American w/ fresh cut fries
MIICHUUAP SMOKED TROUT CHEDDAR MELT On homemade grilled bread with fresh cut fries and our house salad
GRILLED ONTARIO PICKERAL On a crispy potato cake, mixed greens and spicy apple ginger drizzle
SOUTHWESTERN STYLE BUFFALO BRISKET Slow smoked for 10 hours, grilled with Bbq sauce, fresh cut fries and coleslaw
PHEASANT AND SUNDRIED TOMATO SAUSAGE House made sausage with herb roasted potatoes, sautéed wild greens and honey mustard
SWEETGRASS GAME MEATBALLS (Elk, caribou and wild boar) homemade pasta with garlic tomato sauce
GRILLED MUSHROOM FLAT BREAD (Vegetarian) Wild and cultivated mushrooms, caramelized onions, broccoli, goat cheese and mozzarella
SIDES
Navajo Fry Bread / Fries

Dinner Menu Winter 2007
MEXICAN MUSHROOM SOUP
MIXED GREEN SALAD Inuit crowberry tea and lemon vinaigrette
GATHERING NATIONS SALAD 3 lettuce, frisee, peppers, carrots, onions, dressed w/ maple mustard vinaigrette, topped with pepitas and sunflower seeds.
WINTER VEGETABLE SALAD Bryson greens, grilled carrots, roasted peppers, roasted beets, pickled mushrooms, pinion nuts
IN BETWEENS
WABUSH DUMPLINGS pan fried rabbit dumplings, cucumber mint salad and honey mustard
QUAIL AND GINGER PATE grilled Adobe bread and a pear compote
MIICHUUAP SMOKED SEAFOOD CAKES Topped w/ Chipotle aioli and Pico de Gallo
MAHNOMIN SPRING ROLLS wild rice, vegetables, mushrooms with spicy pinon dipping sauce
BBQ SMOKED DUCK BREAST SALAD fingerling potato and watercress salad
MAINS
GRILLED TATONKA (BUFFALO) RIBEYE Choice of mashed, roasted or French fried potatoes with sautéed garlic rappini and Sweetgrass special steak sauce
WINTER FISHERMAN’S PLATTER grilled artic char, smoked prawns, fingerling potatoes in a fire roasted tomato sauce
ELK RANCH WAPITI SHANKS potatoes, portabella mushroom and sauteed greens stack, and a bordelaise sauce
GRILLED PHEASANT BREAST butternut squash, cheddar and sage barley, garlic green beans and Tribal Sauce
BRASIED WILD BOAR chili rubbed fresh bacon, with lentils and collard greens
ROASTED WILD B.C. SABLE FISH parsnip and celery root shiipai, citrus spinach and a saffron vanilla sauce
NUNAVUT CARIBOU MEDALLIONS herb roasted, with a winter root vegetable ragout and peppercorn sauce
CANADIAN GOOSE 2 WAYS roasted breast, confit red wine risotto, sautéed wild greens, apple ginger reduction
VEGETARIAN SHEPPARD’S PIE Yukon gold potato mash, kidney beans, wild rice, sweet potato, quinoa, red peppers w/ sautéed winter vegetables and mushroom sauce
SIDES
Navajo Frybread / wild greens / mashed potatoes / fries

Dessert Menu Winter 2007
Cloudberry Crème Brule
Mom’s Indian Buudin
Double Chocolate and Caramel Cake served warm with bailey’s ice cream and chocolate sauce
Warren’s Jamaican Rum Bread Pudding served warm with butterscotch ice cream and caramel sauce
Mahnomin Pudding wild rice pudding, served hot or cold, with poached bartlet pears and chopped candied walnuts