By Alan Gore
It’s been quite some time since we did Canadian cooking, but since this spring has been so cool, all of us thought we needed some food designed to ward off the chill. But no matter what the time of year, there are plenty of lighter dishes to choose from as we head into summer, which is what Canadians call that weekend in August when the hockey rink briefly gets rubbery and unplayable.
Here, as assembled by Jim Morgan, is a rough trail guide to some Canadian specialties:
Poutine ("poo-TEEN") - The "national" dish of Quebec, large French fries with cheese and gravy. There are many web sites devoted to the wonderfulness of poutine. It can be plain, with brown gravy and cheese curds, or fancy, with Camembert and cracked-pepper sauce, for instance.
Soup: fish chowder;
Salad: Onion salad, an unusual traditional dish served in the far north;
Wild game is popular in the restaurants: elk, moose, caribou; the markets Whole Foods and Wild Oats are a likely source for these;
Wild fowl: Duck, goose;
From the reservations: Native Canadian foods: Smoked fish, charbroiled salmon with maple marinade. Try the web site http://www.chiniki.ab.ca/
Veggies: pretty much what Americans eat. One specialty, if you can find them here, is the fiddlehead fern;
Dessert: "Butter tarts", very popular; also bread pudding with a Canadian whiskey sauce; also, we have to have something maple-flavored. Maple is a biggie. Maybe a maple butter tart!
Canadian wines. Try markets like Trader Joe’s or AJ’s.
We’re convening for Canadian on Saturday, June 13 at the home of Ursula and Alan Gore, at 6 p. m.. Be sure to call Ursula at 863-9648 before Thursday, June 11 to coordinate dishes and get directions. Jim Morgan (831-2179) can point to to more Canadian recipes.
May’s poolside cooking event at the Bradens brought us a surprising – even for this group – variety of grilled specialties and outdoor garnishings. Shaw started with a taste of New York - classic hot dogs. Then we sampled Ursula Gore’s Greek salad and feta cheese, followed by Jim Morgan and Marilyn McDonald’s baby back ribs flambe with black baked beans. Our hosts, Joice and Chuck Braden, introduced us to Joice’s mother and daughter - three generations of Stiebers who brought us, besides a jalapeno cheese roll appetizer with crackers, roast corn with roast marinated pepper and iced tea. More weighty entrees followed, until we were all stuffed: Ursula’s grilled skewered lamb marinated in thyme; vegetable kabob from Diana Toone and Ray Pisar, followed by Jane Khatiblou’s pasta salad. For dessert, Jim Gaspar and Janet Fotheringham served us summery slices of watermelon, while George Miles’ bubbly punch and the variety of wines sent us home with memories of still another great Gourmet. Join us in June, and be part of it too!