"Bertha Skye Dishes Out Some World Class Food"

If any visitors to Sunday's Cavalcade of Corn at Myrtleville House Museum neglected to wander into the old home's kitchen, they missed something - and someone - special.

The something was a chance to savor some piping hot native fry bread and a steaming bowl of Three Sisters Soup.

The someone was the chef, Bertha Skye of Ohsweken, who has received international recognition for her extraordinary skill at native cooking.

With only the most basic of ingredients, Skye whipped up a huge batch of native fry bread - which, when spread with butter, or honey as she suggested, seemed to melt in the mouth.

"Iroquois people have been making it since the beginning of time. They got their flour from corn," Skye said as she methodically kneaded, folded and patted a large lump of dough.

Sunday's recipe, however, was a simple combination of white flour, buttermilk, baking powder and a pinch of baking soda.

A canning jar top was used to cut out dough circles, which became crispy on the outside and creamy soft on the inside after a few minutes simmering in the hot oil of an electric frying pan.

Meanwhile, a nearby stove was heating a huge pot of Three Sisters Soup, a native recipe using corn, beans and squash.

Skye's talents became wellknown two years ago when, as part of a four-member team of native Canadian chefs, she helped capture 11 medals at the World Culinary Olympics in Germany.