Fat-back & Molasses is a collection of favourite old recipes from Newfoundland & Labrador.

In addition to the homespun recipes, this book contains sketches and stories that also give a deep insight into the culture and life of a people very much in communion with nature and the joy of life.

Life began for Ivan in Piapot, Saskatchewan, the fourth son and sixth child of the village blacksmith, Art Jesperson. After his family moved to British Columbia, he went to sea at 15 and sailed coastal and deeps ships from Victoria, Vancouver and Montreal. After some time he was ordained into The United Church of Canada and sent to Newfoundland on his first pastoral charge. Rev. Ivan Jesperson arrived Newfoundland 1968 as clergyman for United Church on Fogo Island. There he compiled recipes of Newfoundland and Labrador in a cookbook entitled Fat-Back & Molasses. He also published an island newsletter entitled The Fogo Island Profile. Moving to St. John's in 1972 he continued pastoral ministry in Wesley United Church until 1975 when he began Jesperson Printing & Publishing. Jesperson left Newfoundland in 1987 and went on to the world of desktop publishing in Toronto and Ottawa. Retiring from business in 1992, he re-entered pastoral work of The United Church of Canada and served Aylwin Pastoral Charge in Kazabazua, Quebec until his retirement in 2000. Since retirement he has returned to British Columbia and lives in Victoria with his wife Mollie.

Ivan Jesperson's profile page