Recipes and essays exploring the stories and culinary traditions of Newfoundland.

Three facts: 1. The culinary history of Newfoundland is unique and diverse. 2. Anyone can cook anything and make it delicious, so long as they prioritize local and seasonal ingredients. 3. Food tastes better when it is connected to stories and memory. These are the core beliefs of Salt Beef Buckets: A Love Story, an affectionate tribute to the land, the people, and their meals.

Amanda Dorothy Jean Bulman is a chef, writer, librarian, citizen scientist, and stand-up comic. She works closely with Little Green Thumbs and Agriculture in the Classroom and is the founder of Yes, Chef, a non-profit that brings sustainability, foraging, farming, and food into elementary school classrooms. Amanda hosts a segment on CBC’s Here and Now entitled “Food and Fun” and hosted two children’s television shows on Bell Fibe in 2021. She lives in beautiful Newfoundland with her basset hound. Amanda’s cookbook and foraging guide, Salt Beef Buckets: A Love Story, was released in 2021.

Amanda Dorothy Jean Bulman's profile page

"With every page, I felt I was personally invited into Andie’s kitchen, regaled with stories about Newfoundland, its food, culture and history, and future sustainability. [...] She writes of failed recipes, foods she should love but doesn’t, and how she was intimidated to start a garden despite a long family history of doing so. This vulnerability within a professional chef’s cookbook is refreshing and provides the reader with a sense of accessibility to every recipe."

Culinary Historians of Canada

"Throughout, Salt Beef Buckets walks a balance of deliciousness and readability."

The Telegram

"This cook book reads just like a love story. A love story of tradition, family, friends, culture and care. [...] Laid out in seasons, there is something to look forward to in spring, summer, fall and winter."

Atlantic Book Reviews

"At the heart of Amanda Bulman’s debut cookbook is Newfoundland’s local, seasonal cuisine and stories behind the recipes that make food special. This cookbook is good for beginners and experts alike, centred around the belief that anyone can cook delicious food with local seasonal ingredients. Breakwater Books published Salt Beef Buckets: A Love Story with recycled materials, making it a good choice for environmentally conscious readers. Share this tasteful insight into Newfoundland’s culinary history, unique land and community."

Atlantic Books

“Bulman’s casual, yet polished recipe-writing feels refreshing […] In addition to recipes, Bulman explores things like rug hooking, berry picking, hunting and fishing. You'll learn how to build a fire for a boil-up, grow seedlings for a garden, or blend herbs and flowers for tea. In fact, you could consider this book an introduction to living and eating well in Newfoundland and Labrador – downhome “hygge,” if you will.”

Eating an Island

"I found myself happily immersed in what is somehow both a brilliant recipe book and also a captivating journey through one of Canada's most striking provinces. This beautiful book spoke to me and has me eager to try new recipes made with locally grown veggies, fruits and herbs. It’s going to be a bountiful and delicious summer season!"

Lady Baker’s Tea