Sir John's Table: The Culinary Life and Times of Canada's First Prime Minister

by Lindy Mechefske

Commemorating the two-hundredth anniversary of Sir John A. Macdonald's birth, Sir John's Table is a refreshing look at Canada's first prime minister. Sir John's Table traverses the colourful life of Macdonald, from his passage as a young Scottish boy in the steerage compartment aboard the Earl of Buckinghamshire to his new home in Kingston, Upper Canada. It traces his boyhood years of stealing fish and scarfing down fairy cakes into his adult life as a lawyer, husband, father, and eventual leader of the newly founded dominion of Canada. It was a journey that began with hardtack and suspicious-looking, watered-down stew amidst appallingly unsanitary conditions and culminated in grand dinners held in Macdonald's honour.

In a breezy and engaging style, author Lindy Mechefske traces Macdonald's life through some of the common foods of the day, from mutton, quince, and gooseberries to hare, cow heel, and ox cheek. Along the way, she reveals how to concoct the fried oysters served at the Charlottetown Conference and how a roast duck dinner saved the dominion.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Canada

232 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2015

Reviews

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look at food the what people ate during the time of Sir John A. MacDonald, Canada's first prime minister. Being a foodie and history buff, I loved reading this book. Mechefske inserts facts and history while keeping it fun and entertaining.

My Rating: 4 stars

[farmwifetwo · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017...

I am a firm believer that history via facebook isn't history. That we should read and learn for ourselves. That we need to understand that there's a very big difference between what was and what is and that doesn't take away from the mistakes of the past but should humanize it.

As the sayings go... "history was written by the victor"; "those that don't know history are doomed to repeat it". So, erasing history, doesn't change it.

Sir John A, was a barely functioning alcoholic. I am in awe he lived as long as he did considering the binges he went on. A smart man. A liked man. A man that truly believed in making Canada a country. Did he screw it up.... oh, yeah. But hindsight is a wonderful thing.

An easy to read introduction to the life of Sir John A Macdonald. It describes the place and time. It glosses over the best and worst of the life and times of Sir John A as more of a timeline than a history. There are many books listed in the back, should you choose to read about him more in depth.

[Michael Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I finish a book, lay it down, am sorry it’s done, I know I’ve enjoyed it. Such is the case with this volume by Lindy Mechefske. It’s a wonderful combination of history, biography, storytelling and culinary intrigue. The mid-nineteenth century was a time of extreme growth for Canada, and this book captures the political manoeuvring and evolutionary process of the country with detail and humour in a most readable form. Sir John A. Macdonald was the mastermind behind much of this growth period, and his love of food and drink played an integral part in the process. Ms. Mechefske presents the historical developments of the period including the gastronomic excesses of the banquets and formal dinners Macdonald used to influence the decision makers, and she peppers the chapters with stories of the life and foods of the period and concludes each with a recipe, many of which challenge the mind to try. This is a must read for anyone wanting to know more about a most important period in Canadian history, learn about the foods and recipes of the times or simply be entertained for a while. This’ll make a great holiday gift as well.

[Laura Kirkham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I must say when I received this book in the mail, I was sceptical of whether I was going to be interested in reading it. I was proved wrong! What a delightful book! This treasure contains a biography of Sir John A. MacDonald's life and career in politics from beginning to end. The author colorfully describes his many antics, political achievements, personal relationships including his two marriages and family.

The recipes follow events throughout the book which were used for fishing, tavern pub fare, weddings, Montreal Tourtiere, mulled wine, a not to forget list when going on a picnic, and natural remedies to cover such issues as "Gravel or sand in urine" and "Frost bite". I got a kick out of how simple an vague the recipes were, leaving much to chance such as oven/stove temperature, timing and ingredients.

This was a great read, can definetly say I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Canadian history and cooking. Thanks for sending it to me!!

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun little book. It hardly qualifies as a rigorous culinary or political history, but instead exists in a sort of pleasant limbo between the two. Mechefske's writing is neither academic nor casual, and this is a very accessible volume for that small audience of people who prefer to digest their political history with a dash of culinary lore, or vice-versa. I love the mingling of early Canadian recipes, and I think this book offers a perspective on Sir John A. the man--and wow what a bundle of foibles he was--in a way that gives him a human dimension that our school textbooks never did.

[Karen Lowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very readable book. I found it an especially good nonfiction book, that coming from a predominantly fiction reader. I found the writing very smooth, so the chapters just flew by. I really liked the anecdotes about the man without the heavy-handed historical baggage that can come with some history books.
The recipes were entertaining. I'm not sure I'll ever try any but it reminds me of how far we've come and yet how similar our tastes remain.

[Karen Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great read for Canadian food lovers as we celebrate Canada's 150th birthday. It also won a Gold Medal at Taste Canada, the Canadian Food Writing awards. I learned a lot of Canadian history I had no idea of and am impressed with what food was available to Canada's early pioneers. Much, much more than our friends in the U.S. due to our close links with the United Kingdom.

[Lola Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was a surprisingly fun, quirky read. I loved the idea of exploring such a well known character through food. Very novel and I learned so much about Canada.

[Crazy Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nonfiction, yet reads like a novel interspersed with recipes; John A’s intoxicating, fun-loving, and affectionate personality shines through Mechefske’s take on history as seen through a through a humanistic and culinary lens.

This book is very well-researched, but never ‘stodgy’, the personalities of historical persons are told through letters and descriptive narrative while the story of Canada unfolds.

Excellent read for those interested in food and history of the 1800s - not the only the fine dining and stuffed shirts of parliament buildings, but the hard work and homey meals of everyday life - this is every person’s Canada.

[Nada Loughead · Rating 5 out of 5]

See my review at https://canadiancookbooks.ca/sir-john...

[Kelly Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book that was put together differently than every other biography that I've ever read. We focused much more on the prodidious amounts of food that was cooked, served and consumed by the early Canadian government.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Both the biography and the culinary history were very interesting, but the two topics didn't always match up in the most intuitive way. Nevertheless it's a fun, fairly easy read full of neat historical facts (and recipes)!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting social history. Any one interested in Kingston, in politics, in early settlers' hardships will find this fascinating.

[Joan Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-researched. Interesting, fun and easy to read.