Canadian Cuisine
Canadians like to eat. And how. Recent statistics show that Canadians are some of the chubbier people on the planet. Two factors contribute to their state of girth: long, harsh winters which make it difficult to venture outside to get much exercise beyond shovelling the driveway and their, fatty, fried food diet.
Here then is a tour of Canadian cuisine.
Poutine - Invented in the late 1950's in Quebec, this artery clogging dish consists of thick cut french fries and cheese curds covered in turkey gravy. Many restaurants offer imitations (the McDonald's and Burger King versions are abominable) but accept no substitutes - only turkey gravy and cheese curds will do.
Doughnuts - also spelled "donuts"- this food isn't especially Canadian but a hockey player named Tim Horton opened a chain of 24 hour donut shops which have become omnipresent sight on off ramps across this land.
Bagel - other than that the best ones are, without doubt, found in Montreal, these too are more Yiddish than Canadian (not that the two are mutually exclusive of course) but another hockey great, Darryl Sittler, is attempting to outdo Tim Horton by opening up a chain of bagel shops across Canada. Try the spinach cream cheese. It's quite good.
Beer - According to the Canada Food Guide, one should have mostly grains in their diet. The hops and barley in beer should handle that.
Maple Syrup - Mrs. Butterworth and Aunt Jemima are shysters. Real maple syrup costs, like, ten dollars a bottle and tastes far nicer on your pancakes.
Source: Wrirtten by Johm Hansen, The Shrubbery Webzine.
Canadian Recipes
Tourtiere - Traditional French-Canadian Meat Pie
Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1/2 pound ground veal
- 6 slices bacon
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried sage
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts
- 1 1/4 cups water
Directions
1. In a Dutch oven, brown ground veal, pork, and bacon. Drain off fat.
2. Stir in onion, celery, garlic, sage, salt, and pepper. Stir in 1 cup of the water, and bring mixture to boiling. Reduce heat, and cover. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or till onion is tender. Stir frequently.
3. Combine cornstarch and the remaining 1/4 cup water. Add to hot meat and vegetable mixture, cooking and stirring till thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes more. Remove pan from heat, and cool slightly.
4. Fill pastry shell with meat and vegetable mixture. Roll out top crust on top, seal the edges, and put patterned slits in top crust.
5. Bake in a preheated 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) oven for 40 minutes, or until golden brown. Let stand about 15 minutes before serving.
Poutine History
Poutine is a delicacy originating from the Bois-Francs area, created and developed in the 50's. According to research by gourmets of the Bois-Francs area, poutine was created in the kitchen of a restaurant named "LUTIN QUI RIT" located in Warwick. The restaurant was operated by Fernand Lachance who used, in his original recipe, cheese curds made by FROMAGERIE DE KINGSEY which later became the FROMAGERIE COTE INC. de Warwick.
Poutine can be found and prepared in different styles, not only in the province of Quebec but everywhere around the world; New England, Toronto, Florida, Mexico and even in Venezuela. In short, everywhere Quebecers migrated.
Poutine Recipe
- Hot fries (1 portion)
- 7 oz of curds or shreded cheese (preferably mozzarella) on top of the fries
- 3 oz of gravy (preferably BBQ) on top of everything
Doughnuts
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 1/3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons white sugar
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions:
1. Dissolve 1 tablespoon sugar and yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Set aside until creamy.
2. In a large bowl, mix together oil, 2-1/3 cups water, salt, and 4 tablespoons sugar. Add yeast, and gradually mix in flour. Place dough in a buttered bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp tea towel, and place in a warm place to rise for 1-1/2 hours.
3. Form dough into balls about the size of eggs, then roll flat to make ovals about 1/4 inch thick.
4. Heat oil to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) in a deep fryer, pot, or electric frying pan. Fry doughnuts one at a time, until light brown on both sides. Place on paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with white sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice while still hot.
Beaver Tails
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 5 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 pinch white sugar
- 1 cup warm milk
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 5 cups whole wheat flour, or as needed
- 1 quart oil for frying
- 2 cups white sugar, or as needed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, stir together the yeast, warm water, and a pinch of sugar. Let stand until slightly foamy, about 5 minutes.
2. When the yeast is foamy, add the other 1/3 cup of sugar, milk, vanilla, eggs, oil and salt, and stir until smooth. Mix in about 3 cups of the flour, stirring with a spoon, then gradually add more flour, turning the dough out onto a floured surface when it is firm enough to handle. Knead for 5 to 8 minutes adding flour as needed to form a firm elastic dough. Place dough in a greased bowl, and cover. Let rise until doubled, about 30 to 40 minutes.
3. Gently deflate the dough, and pinch off a golf ball-sized piece of dough. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll the ball out to an oval. Set aside to rest covered with a tea towel, and continue with remaining dough.
4. Heat about 4 inches of oil for frying in a deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). If you do not have a deep fryer, a wok or Dutch oven will work. I toss in a tiny bit of dough and see if it sizzles and swells immediately. If it does, the oil temperature is where it should be.
5. Just before placing the beaver tails in the oil, stretch the ovals out into a tail shape, thinning and enlarging them as you do. Carefully place the tails in the hot oil one or two at a time. Fry, turning once, until the tails are a deep brown, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove using tongs and drain on paper towels.
6. Place remaining 2 cups of sugar in a large bowl, and stir in cinnamon if you are using it. Toss beaver tails in the sugar bowl while they are still hot. Shake off excess.
Note: To make the dough using a bread machine, add the dough ingredients to the pan of your bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the DOUGH setting, and press START. When the machine beeps, continue from step 3.
Source: All Recipes