Mmm...Canada: The Savoury Edition Round-Up

The state of nations depends upon how they eat.
- Jean Anthèlme Brillat-Savarin, The Physiology of Taste (1825)

The call was made and was answered. Between Jennifer’s event and mine, I think we’ve somewhere in the region of 60 or 70 participants (wee hee!).

The savoury side of the table has foods representing foods from east to west, dishes that brought back memories, treats that are steeped in our nation’s history, along with new takes on familiar ideas, fusion cuisine and one or two brand new dishes. We also have essays from Canadian writers who share their bits of culinary Canadiana which are a pleasure to read. Meandering through our round-up, you’ll find submissions by people who live here, people who used to live here and people who’ve visited our warm, sunny, rainy and snowy shores.

Thanks so much to everyone who cooked, photographed or wrote for this event—you’ve done us proud.

So…we’ve quite the feast here. Come on over—leave your coats on the bed. Pop, juice and milk are in the fridge and the beer’s on ice in the bath. Dessert can be found here. Help yourself and if Hagia leads you to the bookcase in the dining room, she wants her kitty crunchie treat...

British Columbia
Deb of anm8rchick: the miss underpants project
Salmon Cakes

Deb's been in BC for about a dozen years and has fallen in love with salmon. Her entry adapts a Kitchen Nightmares recipe...and she pairs it with a cutely labelled wine.






Hélène of La Cuisine d'Hélène
Memories of a Québec home

For Hélène, Canadian food is the food of family. Her post takes us through the Québécois foods of her childhood such as ragoût, tourtière and pea soup.

Linda of Kayak Soup
Sablefish on Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Fiddleheads and Arugula

Linda took advantage of fish caught off the British Columbia coast and prepared it simply and deliciously, with what I think of as a rite of spring: Fiddleheads. Her food is always so lovely, as are her posts.

Liz of Bits'n'Bites
Home cooking from Québec

I think for many Canadians, Canadian cooking is the foods prepared for them while they were young. Liz is no different. She gives us a peek at the great Québécois dishes her mum prepared.

Sarah of i like to cook
Bannock

Our lovely Sarah had a good think about what she should make and then seized upon bannock, a type of bread which was adapted by our First Nations people. She gives us savoury and sweet versions.


TS and JS of [eatingclub] vancouver
Pan-roasted Halibut with Fava Beans, Potato-Onion Cakes and Bagoong Butter Sauce

TS and JS’s eclectic food tastes let them try some of the many cuisines that contribute to Canada’s national cuisine. They share a Filipino-inspired dish that uses some of British Columbia's wonderful bounty.


Val of More Than Burnt Toast
Maple Glazed Salmon Skewers

In one post Val takes us on a coast-to-coast culinary journey. Her sumptuous sojourn ends at home, enjoying one of British Columbia's famed fishies...salmon.

Alberta
Gayleen of GayleenFroese.com
Pizza, Feta and the Original Kraft Dinner

My friend Gayleen is a talented author who's working on the follow up to her novel Touch. She shares memories of Pierre Berton's quest for a national food and how it (pizza) is translated in Saskatoon by Greek restaurateurs, along with words about school potlucks and good ol' KD.

Ontario
Brilynn of Jumbo Empanadas
Wild Canada

Brilynn truly went wild with this one. Wild turkey roam freely in her backyard, and after a truly thrilling licensing process, her dad went out and brought home dinner…several times over. Paired with wild rice, Brilynn adapts Hunter’s Chicken for her dish.

Candice of Mmm! Tasty
Garlic fingers with donair sauce

Candice made a dish that reminds her of her Maritime home, but is hard to find here in Ontario--the garlic finger. At first glance it looks like something many of us are familiar with, but upon closer inspection it has a wonderful regional twist.

Christine of Occasionally Christine
Toasted tomato sandwiches

Christine’s back and I know I’m a happier person for it. Her return to foodblogging is marked with a childhood favourite, with memories of real tomatoes.



Elizabeth of Blog From OUR Kitchen
Pasta with Nettles and Cream Sauce

The food of Elizabeth’s youth (including Miracle Whip) has left an indelible mark on her psyche, which helps her to appreciate the more exotic cuisines available here. Her entry takes advantage of the offerings at a new local farmers’ market.

Giz of Equal Opportunity Kitchen
Beet Leaf Holopchi

Our event took Giz back to her youth in the Prairies, where Ukrainian culture is kept and cherished. Her dish is a bit of a tribute to her neighbour--who sounds like an amazing woman.

Jasmine (Me!)
Bacon, ramp and mushroom swirls

My entry is pretty simple and combines indigenous and introduced ingredients in a simple and homey way. It's a pretty forgiving concept and you can swank it up as much (or as little) as you want.


Jeff "Wing King" of Lord of the Wings
In search of the Canadian Wing

Jeff is a man obsessed with chicken wings (if you haven't guessed). In his journey to find "the" Canadian wing, he's realised that it's about your dining companions along with what's on the plate.





Jenny of All Things Edible
Maple Orange Cranberry Porkchops

Jenny decided to not go the way of tourtière nor poutine. For our little event she created a brand new dish featuing Canadian and imported flavours that’s sure to be a favourite.

Lisa of Lisa’s Kitchen
Almost old-fashioned baked beans

Lisa and her site can inspire anyone interested in cooking delicious veggie dishes. For our event, she offers a veg-friendly rendition of a traditional comfort dish.


Marika of Madcap Cupcake
Montréal Bagels

Mmm....I’m happy someone tackled Montréal bagels. No offense to our friends from NYC, but there's just something so delicious about these delights from La Belle Province.

Michèle of Oswego Tea
Pattypan!

After several years abroad, Michèle’s spending her first Canada Day here at home. To celebrate, she went to her farmers’ market and purchased some pattypan squash and yellow courgettes to be paired with goat cheese for a simple and delicious salad.

Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies
Grilled Canadian Bacon Sandwiches with Maple Onions and a Maple Mustard Sauce

Natshya (with puppies, in tow, I'm sure) decided on a Canadian classic: back bacon, grilled on the barbecue. She made a delicious meal of it and including a slew of delicious sides.

Peter of Kalofagas
Happy Birthday Canada

As you can see from a few posts of our participants, poutine is a favoured Canadian food. Peter is no different and he gives good advice about its three essential ingredients.


Ruth Stuart Wood Dragon’s Nest
Tasting Canada

My friend Ruth is a sweet soul and a talented SF writer. I sent her a note asking if she’d consider a post for us and she provided memories of waiting for rising bullfrogs in her grandma’s kitchen.

Tracy of Vanilla Bean Café
PEI Mussels & Wheat Beer

Tracy grew up in eastern Ontario and has fond memories of French-Canadian food, but instead of delving into that rich culinary menu, she decided to adapt a recipe using ingredients from the Maritimes and Ontario.

Québec
Aimée of Under the High Chair
Fois gras sushi

We’ve seen a bit of traditional Québécois cooking in this event, but Aimée (clever girl that she is) shows us what new Québécois cooking can be, using some amazing local ingredients.

Nova Scotia
Ruth of Once Upon a Feast
Seared Scallops & Shrimps on Blueberry & Mixed Greens

Our Ruth uprooted herself and her dear husband from Ontario to Nova Scotia to be close to their grandson. She deftly summarises some of the Maritime province's culinary delights.

Expats
Jessica of UR: RD-2B
Poutine
Originally from Québec, now in England

In honour of La Fête National du Québec Jessica made a dish that makes her feel a bit closer to home. It’s amazing how poutine can bridge a distance (must be all the melty cheese strings ;) )

Joanne of Frutto della Passione
Maple glazed chicken and potatoes
Originally from Ontario, now in Italy

Joanne takes sweet childhood memories with an agreeable definition of Canadian food to give us this simple and tasty dinner.

Reenie of Scribbles and Bites
Hamburger Helper
Originally from Ontario, now in Mexico

What would we do without mums? Reenie’s mum told her about the event and their thoughts started flying and eventually landed on what she has to have when visiting Canada.



Sands of All Things Dolce
Strawberry Sandwiches
Originally from Ontario, now in England

Sands' mind wanders to "pick your own" farms and swimming in the lake on family outings. This sandwich is a product of one of those trips.

Honorary Canucks
Alanna of Kitchen Parade
Grilled vegetables in foil
USA

It was such a pleasure meeting Alanna last year at BlogHer--she's warm and wonderful. I knew she wouldn't disappoint--her dish is simply prepared and features a wonderful vinaigrette.

Becke of Columbus Foodie
Poutine
USA

Becke decided to make what she thought of as “quintessentially Canadian” that happens to double as a comfort food. A gravy-like sauce, cheese curds and fries—it could only be poutine.

Mary of The Sour Dough
Beer, brats and a bit of pork pie
USA

Our darling Mary truly is an honorary Canadian—growing up in “the lost province” (aka Michigan’s Upper Peninsula)—in fact I think we should officially adopt her. She and her friends combine beer, pork, bread for a Canadian-inspired meal.

Shaun of Winter Skies, Kitchen Aglow
Tourtière
New Zealand

Our Dear Shawn has travelled to Canada twice in his life...and one of those trips included some reputedly amazing Voguing (are we dating ourselves? Perhaps). He shares his memories of both trips along with a recipe for some traditional Québécois fare.



Ulrike of Küchenlatein
Smoked Coho Salmon with Strawberry Salsa
Northern Germany

One of our favourites, Ulrike, was lucky enough to be on the west coast and picked up a lovely Coho salmon. She had it smoked in Hamburg and paired it with a divine fruit salsa.

If you are still hungry—or curious about what Canadians eat--take a meander through my list of Canadian food blogs--it’s a pet project of mine and updated whenever I find a new-to-me site.

Happy Canada Day!

jasmine

PS--every good celebration has a straggler or two...

• From Ontario: My lovely co-hostess Jennifer of The Domestic Goddess thinks of mapley delights when she thinks of Canadian food. For her savoury submission, she made some Maple Mustard Moose Wings (say that five times, fast!)
• From Ontario: Our sweetie Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice writes an essay about our cornucopia.