What is Canadian Cuisine?

This is the final topic for the Canadian Food Project for which I have contributed every month.  A year of exploring different topics to define Canadian Cuisine was most interesting, yet disappointing as many who had signed up for the project did not follow through.


To me, this has been most interesting as although there are Canadian Cookbooks, these focusing on regional areas as in this project.  Maclean's Magazine lists12 dishes that identify Canadian foods.  Huffpost Canada looked at what is the most Canadian Food as  being Bacon, Poutine and Maple Syrup.

While enjoying regional food in my travels in different parts of Canada, restaurants usually boast a Canadian menu devoted to seasonal and local products such as local greens, vegetables and seafood or meats along with local wines.  What is meant by Canadian Menu?

Is "local" the key word in identifying Canadian food?

Certainly growing up on a farm, this was the operative word, as all the food came from one's farm.  A large garden preserved for the winter months, meat and fish were from one's land.  Jams, jellies and pies were made from berries such as raspberries and strawberries.  Rhubarb and fruit trees were well utilized.  My favorite times was picking Saskatoon, Pin-cherries, Chokecherries and High Bush Cranberries, all listed in order when in season.  Foraging for Morels in mid-May, my favourite wild mushroom, along with White Chanterelle in the fall is something I still look forward to at the annual festival in Sicamous BC in Sept.

Things were seasonal, as one well remembers that first Spring taste of peppery red radishes or icicle radishes, leaf lettuce or spinach.  There was nothing finer than a sandwich made out of freshly baked bread, a generous spread of butter with slices of garden fresh radishes!

Cooking trends have evolved with the cost of meat increasing.  Using cheaper cuts of meat and ground beef has increased since the seventies.  Interesting enough there was an article in Calgary Herald's Weekend Life in May encouraging the use of cheaper cuts by marinating, cooking and slicing the meat correctly.

This article brought back memories of reading this same topic in the seventies when the cost of meat had also increased.  Madame Benoit had suggested that with the increase, home cooks were being more inventive in using ground meat and a cheaper cuts of meat.

As a young cook in the seventies, I remember international recipes for Spaghetti sauces, Lasagna, Pizza, Chinese stir fries were readily exchanged with friends.  My Mom laughingly remarked she could no longer cook as she had been accustomed to using her own meat that had been butchered into large roasts, ground meat and steaks were not the norm.

Soon these international recipes became part of every Canadian Home Cook's repertoire including my Mom's. In fact when holidaying in Northern Ontario, lack of dried lasagna noodles in a small pulp mill town did not stop her from making her own flat noodles for the dish. 

Right now I am writing this blog from Northern Manitoba with a well stocked pantry; instant vermicelli noodles, box of lasagna noodles along with a variety of dried pasta, soya sauce, hoisin sauce, a variety of hot sauce (Asian and Mexican), home canned hot salsa, tortilla wraps, box of taco shells, maple syrup, tray of assorted spices along with a cupboard of canned food and other dried products such as beans, cocoa, rolled oats, sugars and cereals. Of course chocolate, graham wafer crackers and marshmallows can be found.  With these ingredients, I can make a variety of dishes.  In the deep freeze, I have made 8 dozen of pyrohy filled with potatoes, cottage cheese and fresh dill from the garden, hamburger patties, Jamaican patties, Vietnamese Spring Rolls, Thai chicken and chicken soup.  I know my brother will be pleased with these gifts from the kitchen!

With more rainy weather predicted, a stock pot with chicken simmers on the stove top.  I have fond memories of home made noodle cut into fine julienned pieces and the perfectly clear flavorful broth with fresh parsley from the garden.

Blizzard conditions 

My chicken soup has evolved mainly due to the fact that the chicken is no longer full of flavor as I knew it and due to the Asian influence in my cooking. 

Asian Chicken Noodle soup

We live in a large multicultural country where global influences have had a great impact on  products that are available in our super markets and influence our cooking trends.  My brother  believes that once a food dish, whether it be Mexican, Italian, Asian or European,  hits our supermarket it becomes Canadian. 

For the Olympic opening ceremonies in Vancouver, the fiddle was used as the unifying Canadian instrument as it is played in all part of Canada, yet with it's own regional flavors.  Yes, Maple Sugar is one song played across Canada with a regional flavor!


In a cookbook, The Complete Canadian Living Baking Book, Elizabeth Baird suggests 'that Canadians are the most skilled and talented home bakers and unlike France, Denmark, Austria and Portugal, Canadian are more likely to bake a cake for birthdays, special celebrations or for guests than purchase it.   

Some of my sister, Pat's Christmas baking

Elizabeth suggests that the ease and comfort we have in baking is an "important rite of passage" filled with the joys of baking as young children!  Successful fund raising Bake Sales are a result of our baking skills!

My Fruit Cakes, white and dark

My Christmas baking

 I reflect on this topic with a cup of freshly brewed Red Rose Tea.

Could a cup of Tea be our universal and the uniting part of Canadian Daily Life?  Perhaps!

The images from this mid 60th's Red Rose Tea commercial comes to mind. 

I leave this project with how to make a perfect cup of tea learned from my Mom!

A perfect cup of tea starts with fresh boiling water.  According to my Mom, heating the pot  with hot boiling water is the most important step as your brew is not cooled down by a cold pot.  
Let the brew steep for 2 -3 minutes, then gently stir before pouring the brew.  

And yes, enjoy it in one of those beautiful china cups hiding in your China Cabinet!

Enjoy!

Only in Canada- Pity!

Green Garlic Pancakes

Chinese prepackage pancakes are found in my Asian supermarkets and the calorie count is over the roof.  I have seen recipes for them but have not tried them until seeing this recipe for Wild Green Pancakes in an email and decided to make them as I have fresh garlic growing in my garden.

The amount of liquid to be used in the recipe is not specific and the first two I made were too thick, the liquid needs to be very runny.  In total I added almost a 1/2 cup of water if not more.

I was surprise how plain tasting the pancake is even though it is seasoned with fish sauce, salt and pepper along with turmeric for color.  I  made her dressing and found it to be too acidic.

Green Garlic Pancakes
Fresh garlic leaves
2 eggs
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 tsp grounded turmeric
1/2 cup water, may need more for a very thin batter
1 tsp fish sauce
salt and pepper
oil for frying the batter

Whisk together the eggs, add the flour, then whisk in water until batter very runny so that you can spread the batter easily in the hot pan to make a large circle before it starts to cook.

Heat a small caste iron pan until it is medium hot. Brush oil in the hot pan.  Pour  a small amount of batter and quickly swirl the pan so that you have a thin circular layer.

I added the finely chopped garlic leaves to the batter but you can add it before you cook the other side.

Asian style Chicken burgers

A recipe called Turkey in the Slaw was posted in our Metro paper used ground turkey with Asian flavours.  I like to use Asian flavors with coleslaw and was anxious to try this recipe.

I used ground chicken that I had bought in the supermarket and did modify the recipe.

Burgers
1 lb chicken
1/4c diced red onion
2 -3 T of hoisin sauce
1 tsp Srirachi sauce
2 tsp soya sauce
1 tsp of sesame seed oil
chopped cilantro
1 grated med carrot

 Coleslaw
shredded cabbage
chopped red onion
 1 chopped apple
1 T hoisin sauce
1 tsp ginger minced
1 tsp sesame seed oil
1 tsp sirarchi sauce
chopped cilantro
sesame seeds
1 T of rice vinegar



I did not like the use of Hoisin sauce in the dressing as it did not add the "zing" to the coleslaw as suggested in the article.  I think I prefer the use of soya sauce in place of Hoisin as it gives the Coleslaw  a lighter and fresher taste.

Although chicken and turkey are a healthier choice than beef, the adding of all the other ingredients does add up in calories.  For example, Sesame seed oil is 130 calories per 15 ml.  I also can not get past the look and the feel of ground chicken when mixing it up into a burger.  I wonder if the texture of ground chicken or turkey is different if you do it yourself.  I certainly would like hearing from anyone that has ground chicken or turkey.

The Canadian Garden

This is the twelfth posting for the Canadian Food Experience project.  The Theme for this blog is the Canadian Garden.

A recent email listed signs that indicated one is addicted to Gardening !  The one I identify with is: When your co-worker shows off her freshly-painted manicure, you proudly present the dirt under your nails.

It is the first week in May and Mother's Day is around the corner and I am so itching to get into my garden, but there is still snow on the ground and more to come!  

There is something so special as the snow melts and everything comes to life.  The seed catalogues that came in the middle of winter have been used for planning this year's garden with eager anticipation! 

My father was always experimenting with different vegetables.  I remember him planting Celery seeds into a framed box in the garden to protect it from the elements.  My father also did winter planting of radishes, lettuces and spinach in a sandy area.  The taste of the early harvest of lettuces, spinach, radishes was so welcome after a long winter. 

This year, my brother had ordered Sweet Potatoes from Vesey's to plant in Northern Manitoba.  Last year, he planted the Asian Long Beans I had purchased for him.  There is no comparison in freshness and taste of these beans to those bought in the Supermarket!

Asian LongBeans in Northern Manitoba

Picking Cucumbers in Northern Manitoba

Jalapeños in Northern Manitoba

When I look at my tiny garden plot in the city, I remember my Mom's huge garden on the farm that she planted every year and preserved the huge yield of vegetables by canning, freezing or storing the root vegetables in a root cellar.

Nellie's garden

Excess garden yields were commonly shared or swapped with others for something that may not have been as plentiful in one's garden. Nothing was wasted!

Tons of Pickling cucumbers in Northern Manitoba

My gardens have always been most successful in other provinces, until moving to Calgary. However, every spring, I am optimistic in planting my garden, especially with tomatoes as I try different strategies.  I am usually pleased with the results until I taste a sun kissed tomato from Saskatchewan or Manitoba and weep!  Tomatoes just don't like the cool evening temperatures in Calgary.  Yet, the small yields from my Calgary garden are most appreciated!


In recently years, I have starting growing garlic.  In travelling through the Okanagan Valley, I picked up two garlic bulbs, Persian Rose and Yugoslavian White at a Farmer's Market in Penticton which I planted that fall.

Garlic growing this year inspite of the snow

 Gardening is very Canadian.  I grew up with gardening as a necessity to now being a hobby for me.  

Everyone at this time of the year is talking Backyard gardening! 

Last week a new immigrant from Vietnam was asking me if the tomato that she took from her neighbor's garden and planted last fall would produce tomatoes for her this year!

While on my recent trip to Toronto, the Hotel Bell Hop from India was eagerly waiting for warmer weather to plant his vegetables.  The smile on his face while talking about his garden was full of expectation!

This year I look forward to planting with my grandchild, her first garden.  She is ready to go!

My recipe for this Blog brings many memories when my Aunt from Thunder Bay would visit our farm and make soup using the fresh vegetables from the garden, that she picked that morning.  I remember waking up and hearing her busy in the kitchen as she chopped the vegetables for the soup.

Spring Borscht

as dictated by my Aunt Florence

2 pork chops or a small pork roast 
3 cups of young beets, julienned, use the whole plant 
Use any new vegetables you may have in the garden
carrots, peas, onions, string beans, small baby potatoes
Fresh parsley and dill
1/2 to 1 cup heavy cream
vinegar, salt and freshly ground pepper
Garnish with fresh dill

The beauty of this soup is the julienned matchstick sized vegetables and the rich colour and clarity of the broth, not to mention the delicacy and taste of tender young vegetables.  

Place meat in a stock pot; cover with water. Bring to boil; cover pot, turn down heat and gently simmer.  Patiently skim off the soup until broth is clear.  When meat is tender, remove meat from the bone.  Strain the broth through a double layer of cheesecloth.  Add herbs and the prepared vegetables that have been julienned to the meat stock.  Add more water to cover the vegetables.  Bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer until vegetables are cooked. Check vegetables often as young vegetables cook very quickly.  

Finishing touches before serving:

Remove the dill and parsley. Remove soup from the heat, add the cream slowly to the hot broth as you stir it.  Do not let the soup boil. Add a dash of vinegar, season with salt and pepper.  Garnish each bowl of soup with fresh chopped dill.

Enjoy!

Finnish Bread

Part of an email to my brother and cousin

A couple of days ago, I phoned Aunt Florence and Aunt Marion looking for a smaller recipe in making Easter bread.  Aunty Florence is just getting over pneumonia but feeling much better.  She quickly found me a recipe that is Julie's relative's, Betty.  According to Aunty it is a Finnish bread as uses Cardamom and the dough can be used to make a lovely Babka bread.  Aunty makes two braided loaves with it all though the recipe says to make one loaf.. She does an egg wash and sprinkles Almonds or Poppy Seed on it.  I made one braided loaf and then added raisins and mixed peel to the other half of the dough and baked it in a coffee tin.  This Babka Bread went to BC with my daughter.  My grandmother used cardamon in the prune torte or Vine torte, but not in her Babka Bread, it is a very unique tasting spice.   She did use Saffron in her Babka Bread to give it a orange color.

Vernon, I am sending this to you as Aunty said it can be started in the Bread Maker.  It is as Aunty said a " lovely bread" and as always her recipe are very precise, although I didn't add the water.  Aunty said you could use more cardamon, but I found there was more than enough flavor using just the 1//2 teaspoon.  I use tradition yeast, so it needs to be proofed first or the dough will be grainy. I baked my loaves at 325 for 30 minutes.  I probably could have baked it for less.

I have never mixed up such a small amount for bread.  I was surprised it made two loaves of bread. 

Braided Cardamon Bread

2/3 cup scalded milk, cool

1 oz water 

1 egg beaten

2 Tablespoon of butter

2 1/2 cup  flour

2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cardamon

11/2 teaspoon yeast (if traditional yeast proof in a bit of lukewarm water). 

Use Bread maker, low setting, turn out when dough is mixed.

Let rise until double in size.

Divide dough into three part and make a braided loaf.  

Glaze with beaten egg, sprinkle sugar and sliced almonds.

Let rise on a prepared cookie sheet for 20 minutes. Preheat oven

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. 

After finally being able to reach Aunty Marion who had her phone off the hook most of the morning, Aunty told me "to just half the recipe that I had!"  I just love talking to them as they are so different in personalities!  

Let me know if you make the recipe.  I will be making it again

Beef Barley Soup

Not being a great fan of leftovers, I did make soup from the left over Osso Buco by add water and 1/2 cup of barley and popping everything into a slow cooker for about 6 hours until the barley was tender.

The results were delicious. 

Trail's End Beef, A Canadian Farmer, Producer

Trail's End Beef

Rachel and Tyler Herbert

The eleventh theme for the Canadian Food Experience is Canadian Farmer/Producer.

On a crisp, overcast spring day, my daughter and I drove past Nanton, Alberta to visit a Canadian Producer.  

After a few wrong turns, we arrived at Trail's End Beef.   Trail's End Beef is a fifth-generation family ranch in southern Alberta raising cattle that are part of the natural life cycle of the grasses in the area.  Trail's End run by Rachel and Tyler Herbert offer natural grassfed, grass-finished beef raised in a way that is good for the land, good for the animals and good for the consumer.

Rachel's children had anxiously been waiting to share a delicious home baked chocolate cake with us. 

Sitting at her kitchen table in her newly renovated kitchen, we listened to Rachel talk about ranch life, her children and the grass-fed beef production.   

Soon we were out in the yard to feed and water the horses used on the ranch.  Even the children have their own horses.  The children happily rode through the mud puddles on their tricycles their Border Collie followed us around the yard.

The Free Range chicken came running to be feed.

A perfect picture backdrop of the Rocky Mountains

The cattle free range on pasture year-round with access to shelter and fresh water.  Grazing is good for the cattle, the land, and in turn, for the consumer. 

Red and Black Angus Cattle

The cattle are born, raised and finished on grass on their family farm.   Respect for the land and animals is foremost.  The land thrives without the use of chemical herbicides or fertilizer.   Their small herd grows the natural way without growth hormones, thus enhancing the tenderness and flavour of the meat.  

The cattle that are very curious animals soon came to check out the new visitors.

Trail's End Beef cattle are butchered at local a artisan butchers when they are between 27 and 29 months of age.  This is at least a year longer than the lives of feedlot beef.  This lengthy process (along with breeding, a forage-only diet and natural healthy lifestyle) accounts for the superior nutrition, tenderness and flavor of our beef.  

The barb wire fence had been a perfect place to remove the winter coat until it was elecrtofied last week.

Rachel explained the benefits of Grass fed beef and showed us the difference in size and age of cattle  sent to the feed lot to be further fattened on corn for market to the size of an animal matured naturally and slowly on her ranch.

As one who had grown up on a mixed farm that raised Heifer cattle, Rachel was reminding me of the practice of raising cattle that was the norm on my parents' farm.  I was surprised to hear that beef was finished in a feedlot! 

 As I watched Rachel with her cattle, I recognized the same love of her cattle, Ranch life and the outdoors that my Mom had shown, especially for Mom's milking cows that were all named; Daisy, Molly, Lucy, Dolly and Hazel.  

Rachel did have one milking cow, that she would start milking again for her personal use. 

 I watched her Border Collie and her two children sit at each end of a gopher hole to flush out a gopher, so in touch with nature and so comfortable with farm life.  Soon the children were digging with Rachel's garden tools in the Raspberry patch. 

Inside the Chicken Coop,  a pail of fresh eggs were picked.  Yes, we did bring a dozen of fresh farm eggs home.  Eggs Benedict that my daughter made the next morning for breakfast were so delicious! 

A pheasant has befriended the flock of chickens and eagerly came to be feed along with the rest of chickens.

We left with packages of beef shanks, stewing beef and round steak. 

To me, visiting this ranch brought back pleasant memories of living on a farm and how I had always felt so privilege to be part of this life style!   Sadly this style of life can only be maintained by being subsidized by an outside income.

The recipe I will share with you is my modified recipe of Mario Batali's Osso Buco. 

Osso Buco

Beef Shank
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup Flour
Olive oil
1 diced carrot
1 diced celery stalk
1 diced onion
Thyme
2 cups of tomato sauce
2 cups of water
2 cups of white wine

Preheat the oven to 275F

Season the beef shanks in salt and pepper and toss in flour.
Heat olive oil in a cast iron frying until hot. 
Brown the shanks on both sides  for about 10 -12 minutes.

Add prepared vegetables and thyme to a dutch oven. 
Layer browned shanks on top of the vegetables. 
Add all the liquid.  Cover  and braise in the oven at a low temperature for 4 -6 hours or until the meat nearly falls off the bone. 

This is a perfect recipe for the slow cooker.  In fact, one can also skip the browning of the shanks. 

I also found that the addition of 2 c white wine did not add to the flavor of the dish.

To serve Osso Buco, top with the Gremolata

Gremolata

Flat leaf Italian parsley
1/2 cup of toasted pine nuts
Zest of one lemon
2 cloves of minced garlic
salt and pepper

Chop loosely the parsley and toasted pine nuts.  Watch closely when toasting the pine nuts as they do burn quickly.  
Mix in lemon zest, minced garlic, salt and pepper.  I did add about tablespoon of lemon juice to the mixture.  

To serve this dish, I also made homemade Gnocchi and Caesar Salad.