The New Native American Cuisine - Cookbook Review

Five-Star Recipes from the Chefs of Arizona's Kai Restaurant

By Marian Betancourt

(Three Forks, 2009)

It could be argued that we are here today because of the Native Americans that occupied the United States before us. They ensured the pilgrims' survival by showing them the vital techniques required to attain food: how to catch fish, cultivate corn and farm squash and beans. The chefs of Kai Restaurant at Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort and Spa in Arizona have respectfully transformed this ancient Native American cuisine — specifically of the Indians of the Gila River Indian Community — into an exhilarating culinary art form.

With The New Native American Cuisine, author Marian Betancourt, Executive Chef Michael O'Dowd and Chef de Cuisine Jack Strong have compiled unique recipes that blend primitive techniques and ingredients with a modern take. These can be made at home, though some with considerably more ease than others. The cookbook makes it easy to imagine Native Americans and pilgrims alike sitting around a fire, eating (albeit less refined) versions of dishes like Wood-grilled Butternut Squash Puree with Wild Boar Bacon; Black Bean Hummus; Grilled Tenderloin of Buffalo with Smoked Corn Puree; and Fry-Bread with Ibarra Chocolate and Kahlua Ice Cream.

The New Native American Cuisine doubles as a time machine, taking the reader back to the days when Native Americans roamed freely, reservations were nonexistent, and their problems revolved around how to make syrup from the fruit of the saguaro or extract nourishment from cacti and prickly pears. By the way, if you've never heard of saguaro, do not fret; a glossary of Native American and desert foods, as well as a shopping guide for heritage and specialty foods are provided at the back of the cookbook. In addition, the book certainly does a thorough job of covering Indian history, rituals and traditions, while also providing details about the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort and Spa as a "showcase for the story" of the Gila River Indian Community.

Yet while it's great to see the book pay homage to Native American culture, at times all the details come across as information overload and ultimately swamp the reader's senses. To get to the nitty-gritty, jump ahead to the recipes, which are divided by appetizers ("The Birth"), first course ("The Beginning"), second course ("The Journey") and dessert ("The After Life"). Though today foods like buffalo, boar, corn and fry-bread may no longer be the lifesavers they once were, they do make for a delicious meal rooted in history.