Holidays and special events with family and friends offer great opportunities to celebrate delicious fresh seafood and produce when you live on Canada’s East Coast. Local ingredients, from PEI potatoes to Nova Scotia lobster, can be put together in simple but imaginative ways to offer memorable meals – and enjoyable get-togethers.

Chef Craig Flinn has made local produce and new twists on traditional dishes his career specialty. In this book he offers menu ideas for every special event of the year – from Valentine’s Day through Easter, Mother’s Day, summer family reunions, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Every recipe – like Snow Crab Crusted Halibut, Clam and Summer Corn Chowder, and Pumpkin Cheesecake with Cranberry Port Sauce – offers a surprising and delicious new variation.

Whether it’s one new dish, or an entire menu, this is a cookbook that will give any East Coast cook great ideas for their special occasions and celebrations.

CRAIG FLINN studied contemporary and classical cuisine in Europe, Canada, and the US before opening his restaurant Chives Canadian Bistro in 2001. He opened his second restaurant 2 Doors Down in 2013. He is a frequent guest on regional and national TV and radio shows talking about Maritime cooking. He is also the author of three previous cookbooks Fresh & Local: Straight from Canadian farms to your table, Fresh Canadian Bistro: Top Canadian chefs share their favourite recipes and Fresh & Frugal: Easy and affordable recipes for market-fresh local food. He lives in Dartmouth.

Craig Flinn's profile page