Real cooking is about following your heart rather than the recipe, because cooking is more than just a blending of ingredients from land, sea, and farm, according to Chef Seadon Shouse, the notable Nova Scotia chef who brought its cuisine to the Hoboken coast. He details his philosophy through recipes and memories, in From the Hill by the Sea, a cookbook-memoir. Chef Shouse is Executive Chef of Halifax Hoboken is both memoir and recipe for cooking and for life, educating the reader in Chef Seadon’s Nova Scotia-grown roots of foraging, hand-making, and cooking from the land with heart and soul. From the Hill By the Sea is a unique, entertaining traverse through discovery and culinary delight as Chef Seadon weaves memories of his childhood fishing and foraging, mushroom hunting, and cooking both indoors and out. “My intention was to draw readers out and inspire them to try new (and wild) ingredients and cooking methods,” says Chef Seadon. Recipes feature unique twists on mackerel, oysters, salmon, periwinkle dishes. There’s even an open fire-roasted chicken recipe. The master chef introduces new techniques broken down into simple steps. Homespun sides like Biscuit Dough Boys (cooked on a stick), Bread and Butter Vegetable Pickles, Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Brown Sugar Bacon and his twist on Nova Scotia’s famous Blueberry Grunt delight the senses and create delectable, sustainable meals. “The recipes are inventive, sophisticated yet earthy, all of which create an intimate, satisfying culinary experience,” said Michael Barry, Owner, Halifax Restaurant. Chef Seadon’s recipes and stories hail from his childhood spent in Coastal Nova Scotia where the connection between food, land and sea is a direct and intimate experience. He encourages the reader to step out of their comfort zone and step into an ocean of possibility that opens up a whole new chapter for the exploratory, yet sustainability-minded cook.
