In my small way, I'm just trying more and more to get integrated into Canadian culture so I have learned a few more quick recipes I wish to share with you.
The first one I was completely unaware of its existence but my housemate made me try it first and then taught it to me.
It is called Bannock bread.
Bannock bread is a typical Canadian recipe which has a long tradition since it is a staple food of the Indigenous peoples of Canada and there are different versions of this recipe which are part of traditional meals in all parts of the country. There are in fact many different ethnic groups of indigenous people in Canada and each would make their own variation it seems.
The origin of this particular Bannock recipe is unknown, but this is how it is prepared mostly here in Ottawa. Formerly, Bannock would have been prepared with cornmeal and nut flour, using flour made from crushed plant bulbs.
Here is my housemate’s recipe which we made and tasted nice for a quiet different breakfast ‘pancake’:
Bannock bread
Ingredients:
450 g flour
15 g of baking powder
45 ml of oil
250 ml of cold water
Instructions:
Place the flour, baking powder and oil in a bowl. Mix well. Add cold water and knead well. Roll it into a ball and cover for 10 minutes.
Press the scoop into a hot cast iron frying pan with a long handle over an open fire. Bake for 15 minutes or until the bread is golden brown. Cut the hot bread into slices and serve with your favourite jam or wild berries. Enjoy your meal!
Another specialty I had fun making with my housemate (to whom of course I’m also teaching some fun and easy Italian recipes) is the Tourtiere.
Tourtiere is a savory quiche, if we use the French name, or meat pie and its origin is vague. It is similar to French quiche but it is also very similar to English shepherd’s pie which traditionally have meat in them.
This savory quiche comes from the Québec region and it is prepared with different types of meat (beef, veal and/or pork) and mashed potatoes. Depending on the area of the country you can find various fillings and the addition of different spices to flavor this pie; in the localities along the coast perhaps you can also find it in some versions with fish such as salmon or shellfish. Of course, it can then be seasoned with plenty of maple syrup that goes pretty much on everything here in Canada if you haven’t noticed!
I have seen maple syrup also used on pizza but I better not mention that back in Italy or some people may faint (just kidding of course) but it would be outrageous like putting ketchup on sushi for a traditional Japanese person I guess and Italian people are very picky when it comes to food.
Canadian pizza stands out for its very thin crust and rich toppings: among the ingredients we can find pizza with tofu, mango, peanuts and cheddar...all ingredients I would never find on pizza back home…
But back to Canada…
To conclude with a dessert I’ll mention a really good, high-calorie dessert: the Butter Tart.
The butter tart is a tart with a heart of butter enriched with various toppings that vary according to the choice of the chef.
They are usually topped with jam or maple syrup but nowadays there are many ‘extravagant’ toppings available such as sprinkles, chocolate chunks, truffles and gummy bears.
