“The recipes in this book tell the story of the early development of this nation powerful contributions of Americas first people.”
The title might be a mouthful, but you’ll definitely want a mouth full of the delicious Cape Cod centric recipes in Angela C. Marcellino’s new book: The True Natives of Cape Cod and Their Food Ways: Recipes with Stories of Food, History, Culture and Identity by Angela C. Marcellino. Taking readers on an ancestral journey through New England’s Cape Cod, Marcellino’s unique recipe book is equal parts rich history and traditional recipes. Each recipe weaves its way into a story that all starts with the author’s own familial connections on the Cape at the turn of the century. A descendant of the Wampanoag People, Marcellino pays homage to her ancestors with a focus on the area’s roots to the Tribe and their traditions. More than just a cookbook…. Diane Stelfox Cook anticipates this release to be a special look into the colorful culture of Cape Cod’s Native People, in a historical context.
FALMOUTH — Bright studio lights at Falmouth Community Television illuminated Mashpee Wampanoag home chef Angela Marcellino as she cooked Indian pudding, along with Gail Blakely, host of “Falmouth is Cooking.”
As the cameras rolled, Marcellino, author of “The True Natives of Cape Cod Massachusetts and their Food Ways,” added refined, ground corn meal to her mixing bowl.
Managing Director of Editorial, “The Point” Host and Producer
By Mindy Todd
On The Point, we talk with Angela Marcellino about her new book The True Natives Of Cape Cod Massachusetts And Their Food Ways. Angela presents stories of her Indigenous ancestors and her ancestors of the Portuguese Diaspora and Seychelle Islands, driven by the whaling industry to the shores of New Bedford and Cape Cod. She also shares recipes that create a map of New England history, highlighting regional resources and where indigenous food ways merged with European food culture to create Americas first recipes.
Book Signing May 27th
By GAIL BLAKELY Feb 23, 2023
“Once upon a time, say some Indigenous oral histories, Sky Woman fell to earth when it was all oceans. To save her from drowning, several animals tried to bring up dirt from the sea bottom that would create land. A muskrat finally succeeded, placing a patch of dirt on a turtle’s back. That dirt grew to become the North American continent with all its vast forests and abundant wildlife.”
I have always wanted to start a column with “Once upon a time,” and now I have been able to do so. These are not my words, however—they belong to Angela Marcellino, who has written a delightful book that tells the story of Mashpee, and her legacy as a member of the Peters family. It’s also a very nice cookbook, containing not only recipes but interesting stories that examine early American dishes, focusing on what foods were introduced by European settlers, and what the Wampanoags shared with the Pilgrim Colony.
“It’s all about inviting people in,” Angela told me when we talked by phone. The day before she had received a notice from Amazon.com announcing that her book was a bestseller. “The True Natives of Cape Cod Massachusetts and Their Food Ways” is a compilation of recipes that are used as a metaphor for her own cultural and ethnic identity, along with her personal journey.
