THE TROUT POINT LODGE COOKBOOK: Creole Cuisine from New Orleans to Nova Scotia

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, Crème Fraîche 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)