Today’s blog entry will
not be endorsed by the American Heart Association or Michelle Obama.
Just so you know.
The common thread between this post and the last one is
gravy. I used to think it was strictly
an American thing, and that we had a fetish for covering our food with a
starchy, meaty sauce.
But nope, turns out Canada’s been riding (and rocking) the gravy train
for way longer than we have...but they do it with a lot more panache and pride
than we do.
When Brent and the kids were visiting a couple of weeks ago,
we decided to take a trip into Canada.
Why? Because it was less than an
hour away. And because it’s a different
country. Miles became kilometers, the
price of gas per gallon became the price per liter, Spanish translation of
English signage became French translation.
Also, on two separate occasions we saw parents on bikes hauling their
small children in wagon-looking contraptions...a sight you’d never see in
safety-law-laden America.
Among other things, Canada is the original home of
poutine. Or, as Brent spells it:
puteen. Poutine is a
slap-you-in-your-mouth, straight up heart attack...but it’s okay, because you
know exactly what you’re signing up for.
Hell, when you got a dish in front of you that goes like this: French
fries, cheese curds, gravy, and whatever special topping you’ve dreamed up, you
just know you’re about to die from
cholesterol overload. And it’s totally
cool, because you’re freaking owning it.
We drove past Smoke’s Poutinerie (a freaking cool name for a
place that sells poutine) as we were looking for another place to eat in Sault
Ste. Marie. Thankfully, my husband and
kids are all good-natured, culinary-minded folk, and were willing to take
chance. It was a very successful gamble.
The base foundation of the poutine dishes at Smoke’s is
French fries, cheese curds, and gravy.
Then, a plethora of add-on choices were available. Kirby tried the special of the day: Samosa
Poutine. I had the Pulled Pork
Poutine. Brent went with the Nacho
Poutine. Spencer did a Bacon-Chili
Poutine, and Elliot rocked a Bacon Cheeseburger Poutine.
 |
| My Pulled Pork |
 |
| Kirby's Samosa |
 |
| Spencer's Bacon-Chili Thing |
Yeah. You’re seeing the pattern here, right? Not heart-healthy
fare. But...you already know that going
in. No delusions equals no guilt. Well, maybe, a smidge of guilt, but you’re on
vacation so who cares?
I’m surprised, honestly, that poutine is not a little more
popular here in the US. It’s got
everything we love in excess...fries, gravy, and cheese.
 |
| Indeed. |
I’d consider open a poutine restaurant in my
hometown, but I’m pretty sure it would not be Blue Zones-endorsed. And Mrs. Obama would not like it at all.
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