Wally wrote
> you don't know how much i'm enjoying this thread! it's so amazing to read
> what and how people eat/ate. it's such an anthropological journey! i would
> like to hear from people in australia and new zealand too! what's their food
> heritage?
I agree, Wally. Mention of food of any kind is enough to get me involved in
a discussion at the drop of a fork.
My parents were of Croatian heritage and we grew up in southern Ontario
between Toronto and Buffalo, New York. My mother had a huge repertoire of
recipes but the ones that are foremost in my memory are those she learned
from her mother. These were Croatian in origin and their simplicity was
indicative of the fact that she grew up dirt poor.
Our absolute favourite was perogies (which we pronounced in a Croatian
manner which I can't spell.) She made them by hand with a simple filling of
mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese, served with fried onions and sour cream.
Her cabbage rolls contained only rice and sliced bacon with a plain tomato
sauce on top but I rate them higher than any I've ever had since.
A dish I still make to this day is what we called String Bean Soup, made at
the height of harvest season with wax and green beans, potatoes, carrots,
tomatoes, peas, and a roux of butter and flour cooked till it was as dark as
chocolate.
Of course there were things she made that I refused to eat, such as jellied
pig's feet and dough fried in goose grease but fortunately these did not
appear frequently.
One truly Canadian dish that is something like a gourmet's nightmare comes
from Quebec. Called poutine, it consists of french fries covered with gravy
and topped with cheese curds. If your arteries can stand the overload it is
a wonderfully satisfying but guilt-producing meal.
Yum, yum, I think I'll start supper now
Salivatingly
Ranger Rick
