Cape Cod Magazine
November/December 2003

The Cape Cod Christmas Cookbook
Written by Mark Jasper
Illustrated by Holly Shaker

“Seaside Christmas”
Mark Jasper’s newest book serves up a collection of local recipes for holiday celebrations

By Kate Bavelock

It seems like during the holiday season we are all family. As we gather around our tables, fireplaces and Christmas trees, laughter and good food bind us together. Mark Jasper’s newest book, The Cape Cod Christmas Cookbook, invokes the feeling of being at a gathering with the Jasper family where local chefs are guests who have come together to share holiday recipes.

Jasper, known for his best-selling books about Cape Cod ghosts, shifts gears with much success to put together this collection. He combines having grown up in the family’s bakery business with his in-depth knowledge of the Cape’s unique history to produce a cookbook with charm.

In addition to the at-home festive feel, one of this book’s main strengths is the heavy emphasis on using local seafood, cranberries and vegetables to show that Christmas traditions are indeed very regional. Wash-a-shores and visitors will feel a deep connection to this cooking, daring them to cook like a native, even if they can’t trace their family back four or five generations here like many of their neighbors can.

Whimsical folk-art by Sandwich resident Holly Shaker lovingly accompanies the recipes. She shows that while Cape Cod may be best known for its beaches, year-round there is so much more of interest. She ties together snippets of legends, history and hominess to invoke all things beloved about the Cape.