Back Then
Every culture has a tradition of hospitality – sharing food and shelter. The ancient Chinook called it “muk-a-muk”: feasting, trading and socializing.
Regular visitors to The Juniper site – and there were many, from both sides of the Rockies – spent the winter imagining warm weather’s bounty.
After months of dried meat on the Prairies, or smoked fish in the lake-filled Interior, travellers looked forward to fresh, asparagus-like taste of young firewood shoots. Another spring treat was the tender inner bark of nearby trembling aspen stands.
In the summer, while the men hunted or traded, the women and children hiked Mount Norquay’s meadows to dig glacier lily and wild tiger lily bulbs. These they roasted in sunken cooking pits. You can still find remains of these cooking pits a short distance from the Hotel.
Sheep, deer and elk were slow- roasted as well, flavoured with wild onions just before serving.
Opinions were mixed about one locally-abundant food: the rosehip. Some First Nations groups savoured the sweet, vitamin-rich skin. Others called it starvation food. The Cheyenne believed eating too many caused “itchy buttocks”.
In the 1950s
The Hotel’s first chef was recruited from Calgary’s famous Petroleum Club. He had a loyal following there, and many of the Hotel’s first guests were people from Calgary who enjoyed his food and liked the idea of a quick mountain getaway.
While “pigs in a blanket” and dips made from Lipton’s newly-introduced onion soup mix were popular elsewhere, the Hotel was known for more sophisticated fare. Rich fare: red meat, cream sauces, root vegetables warm with melting butter. Meals started with Shrimp Newburg or Baked Oysters on the Half Shell and ended with Baked Alaska or a slice of delightful chiffon cake.
The hotel’s reputation for great hospitality attracted wedding parties as well. Brides – or their mothers – would often ask for favourite dishes as a part of the feast. Foods featuring coconut and pineapple were common requests, reflecting the post-war interest in Pacific cuisine.
Now
Weddings are still very popular at The Juniper. One recent celebration was captured by The Food Network’s I Do, Let’s Eat.
The groom, a trained chef, wanted to “bring Banff into the menu.” Together with the Hotel’s Executive Chef, he planned a mouth-watering multi-course feast. Guests were treated to elk pastrami and candied salmon, tender grilled quail and lean, flavourful bison. There were also traditional choices like pan-seared duck breast, beef carpaccio and bocconcini salad.
The 64 guests raved to the cameras about the variety, the presentation and the spectacular mountain setting. Most importantly, the bride and groom, Shawn Matyczuk and Maureen Kelly, declared they were happy with the whole Juniper experience.
The Hotel has also hosted another food-related television event. During the filming for the first season of The Week the Women Went, 117 women from Hardisty, Alberta came to The Juniper for a relaxing lunch away from the responsibilities of home and family.