The growing absence of meaningful ritual in contemporary Western societies has led to cohesive research on the history of ritualizing behaviour in different cultures. The relatively new field of ritology, which includes neuroscience, anthropology, cultural psychology, psychotherapy and even art and performance, raises questions about the significance and practice of ritual today. This book is the first of its kind to discuss the importance of secular rituals for cultural and personal growth. Using a transdisciplinary approach, a range of contributors provide an authoritative account of the science and history of rituals and their role in creating healthy societies in the modern age.

A Taste of Wintergreen features favourite and much-requested recipes from Wintergreen Studios - a non-for-profit environmental and arts education eco-retreat located in the Frontenac Biosphere UNESCO World Heritage Site. The book features accessible, healthy recipes, with a focus on local, organic, and seasonal ingredients. Recipes include: Garlic Scape Pesto; Maple Stew; Savoury Jalapeno Cornbread; Spinach Mushroom and Blue Cheese Frittata; Baked Cauliflower and Ancient Grains; Mango and Shrimp Glass Noodle Salad; Chickpea, Potato, and Artichoke Casserole; Kale with Pan-Fried Vegetables; Goat Burgers with Yoghurt Mint Sauce; Cranberry Zucchini Loaf; Green Tea Cake; and Chocolate Risotto.

Winner, Taste Canada Gold Medal for Culinary NarrativeCommemorating the two-hundredth anniversary of Sir John A. Macdonald's birth, Sir John's Table is a refreshing look at Canada's first prime minister.Sir John's Table traverses the colourful life of Macdonald, from his passage as a young Scottish boy in the steerage compartment aboard the Earl of Buckinghamshire to his new home in Kingston, Upper Canada. It traces his boyhood years of stealing fish and scarfing down fairy cakes into his adult life as a lawyer, husband, father, and eventual leader of the newly founded dominion of Canada. It was a journey that began with hardtack and suspicious-looking, watered-down stew amidst appallingly unsanitary conditions and culminated in grand dinners held in Macdonald's honour.In a breezy and engaging style, author Lindy Mechefske traces Macdonald's life through some of the common foods of the day, from mutton, quince, and gooseberries to hare, cow heel, and ox cheek. Along the way, she reveals how to concoct the fried oysters served at the Charlottetown Conference and how a roast duck dinner saved the dominion.