IsoCookbook

Little Bites: Tastes from Isolation cookbook

By mid-March 2020, we were all thrown into shock and unclear about the future. Our restaurants, growers, makers, and server friends were immediately shut down and cut off. Some made their way back quickly, able to adapt to a restrictive new environment. Others were not so lucky. Businesses shuttered, rent could not be paid, food was going bad, and people lost their livelihoods. All so fast.

Reliant on these very partner businesses to survive, Taste Detours canceled already booked food and drink tours, and wondered what to do next. A recipe book? To remain relevant and somehow continue to do what we do best — Telling the stories of the people and the places through food and drink – an homage to food and drink people within the region was the most promising idea my addled mind could conceive of. The response from the many I contacted was encouraging. Amidst all this chaos though, much change has arisen. So much of it was long overdue. Deeply flawed systems, beliefs, and practices in our world have been challenged, new connections have been created, and borne of necessity, a greater spirit of collaboration has been cultivated. One such connection was with the illustrator of this book. Jenna Kessler took on this project with beauty and imagination, turning these recipe pages into works of art.

Many more chefs, growers, and restaurateurs were eager to be in this publication but were working overtime to simply survive, leaving them unable to contribute. So, while this book spans Wellington County and highlights its diversity, it is by no means comprehensive. Our best hope is that it serves to celebrate and honour all the food people and places within the region, and keeps them top of mind.

I need to especially thank those whose recipes you see on the following pages, they were able to participate with a true gift of good taste for all. I also hope you can try your hand at these recipes, and then go back to support the businesses as soon as you’re able. Let’s be mindful of – and grateful for – our deep agricultural roots: this heritage of food and creativity that surrounds us.

Lynn Broughton, Founder Taste Detours

Guelph, Ontario June, 2020

$5 per book will be donated to our favourite local food heroes, The SEED: A Community Food Hub, plus we’ll give yet another level of support to participating restaurants.

You can purchase the cookbook locally at The Bookshelf and Miijidaa Cafe & Bistro in Guelph, at Elora Mercantile and Tithorea in Rockwood.
We’ve set up a purchase page for shipping books using the button below.

Buy the #IsoCookbook

We hope you’ll continue to share this labour of love widely. It will remain a digital and now solid record of our time in isolation. A celebration of who we all are and a reminder of where our food comes from.