Seaweed, Salmon and Manzanita Cider: A California Indian Feast (Heyday Books, $21.95) by Margaret Dubin and Sara-Larus Tolley is a virtual cornucopia of information and recipes that illustrate how Native American people lived and thrived off the bounty of the land.

As the authors explain in the book’s introduction, “This is a cookbook, but not in any conventional sense.” Since members of “traditional cultures” did not write down recipes but rather relied on memory — and used whatever natural ingredients were available — food preparation varied from one family or group to another.

In writing this unusual book, the two women asked for input from native people throughout the state. The recipes that resulted from their research are what Dubin and Tolley refer to as “fragments of living culture.” They explain that these recipes “should not be considered exact directions for a traditional cuisine; rather, they are transcriptions from tribal and personal memory.”

That being said, the reader should not shy away from trying any of the food preparation featured in this beautifully illustrated volume. Divided into traditional sections that focus on fish, shellfish and seaweed, meat, vegetables, berries, fruits, flowers and, finally, nuts, acorns and seeds, you’ll undoubtedly discover some recipes you’d like to try.

While less-adventurous eaters may gravitate toward abalone chowder, smoked salmon or Bodega Bay acorn beef stew, those with a taste for more exotic fare may try huckleberry bread, venison casserole or seaweed broth.

Adding one or more of these dishes to your Thanksgiving table would serve as a gentle reminder of the native people who once relied on the bounty of the state’s natural riches for their sustenance. These dishes are excellent examples of the basic foods that once made up the menu for Native American harvest or family celebrations.