Some things are unapologetically Canadian.
Like maple syrup. Peameal bacon. Poutine. And, for reasons I’ve never fully understood, the butter tart.
Growing up, we were never really that much of a butter tart family. I vaguely recall my grandmother making (or having) them occasionally, but other than that, we weren’t crazy for them the way many other families are. That’s no surprise to me since butter tarts are typically loaded with raisins, which just happen to be a dried fruit I hate with a passion. The only dessert my family ever went batshit crazy for was mincemeat, and that was really only once a year.
But then I fell in love with a man who loves butter tarts. Actually, as a full disclosure, when I first met the Everyman I found out that he ate a butter tart, banana and chocolate milk for breakfast every day. Mmm. Breakfast of champions, right? Luckily I’ve managed to nudge him in a slightly healthier direction over the years, but he still does love him some butter tarts. But, because they’re still not something I care for, I’d never thought to make them.
But then I came home one day and just felt like it, so I went with it. And of course, the Everyman was happy about that.
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Tags: Baking, butter tarts, Canadiana, raisins, Recipes
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I’ll be the first to admit that my family does have some rather odd traditions.
For instance, when my sister and I each left the proverbial nest, we’d invariably guilt my mom (a now-retired professional chef) into making our favourite Trinidadian delicacies whenever she’d pop by for a visit, which in my case meant the labour-intensive but delicious dhalpouri roti. Or on my dad’s side of the family, there’s a yearly Kris Kringle exchange that is more like ultimate gift fighting, with the intent being to steal as many gifts from the people who want them as possible.
Of course, this is nothing in comparison to the Everyman’s family’s tradition of celebrating Festivus “feats of strength” more often than I care to remember.
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Tags: apples, Baking, beef, Cooking, mincemeat, Preservation, raisins, Recipes
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Well, it seems it’s about time again for another edition of the Foodie 13.
As much as I’ve tried to avoid writing this list for several months now, preferring to turn a blissfully blind eye on my own food phobias and dislikes, eventually I had to admit that there are some foods that I just won’t eat. In Jeffrey Steingarten’s book, he tells us that in order to be a proper foodie, one cannot have aversions to eating, and while I try, there really are a few things I just can’t manage to wrap my head (or lips) around.
So, this week I give you the top hate-ons from that list. You’ll probably find them more surprising than you’d think.
1 – Oranges – Ever since I was a very small child I have hated the taste of orange, whether in full fruit, flavoured items or juice form. Out of everything on this list I can say with certainty that it is the one thing I disdain the most. I’m not really certain how or why it all started, but I recall I had a problem with the pulpiness of it as a wee one, and found it distastefully bitter. To this day, when people try to peel and segment oranges around me (as one reviled ex-coworker used to do all the time) it literally makes me nauseous and I find I have to leave the vicinity.
2 – Soy Milk – One of the primary reasons I’m convinced I could never be a vegan is that I can’t seem to stomach soy milk. And believe me, over the years, I’ve tried. For some reason, no matter what variety, flavour or brand, it always seems to have an unpalatable chalkiness and viscosity that I just can’t get over. If they ever manage to make soy milk that doesn’t actually taste like soy, I’ll be the first one to sample it. But for now, no dice.
3 - Kiwifruit – I find this unpleasant on so many levels. The fur for one, is off-putting. The texture is slimy. The flavour is too astringent. One of my biggest pet peeves about my beloved ice cream establishment, Dutch Dreams, is how they arbitrarily plop a kiwi-laden scoop of fruit salad on top of every ice cream order. I’ll sometimes bother with the other fruit, but the kiwi is always the first thing that gets jettisoned or fed to the Everyman.
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Tags: butterscotch, Cowbell, dislike, distaste, Dutch Dreams, grapefruit, green peppers, Jeffrey Steingarten, kiwifruit, Lists, Mark Cutrara, meat in a can, mussels, oranges, raisins, rice pudding, sauerkraut, soy milk, The Foodie 13, walnuts, white chocolate
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