Even though I once moderated a discussion about Canadian food, I don't always have a good answer for what is Canadian food. True, we could talk poutine for days, but the truth about Canadian food depends on where you are in the country.
This issue came up during last week's Live with Kelly episodes in Banff, Alberta, Canada. On the last show, the hosts sampled some Rocky Mountain cuisine. Admittedly, the menu was very fancy, since this was from the Fairmont Hotel in Banff Springs and executive chef Martin Luthi.
The first two items contained elk and bison. However squeamish you might be about eating animals you don't know (assuming you eat meat), elk and bison are healthier for you than regular beef. Omega-3s, less fat — all the good stuff. So you don't have to eat your elk tenderloin with black trumpet mushrooms and sunchokes or your braised bison short ribs with barley risotto to get the health benefits of elk and bison. Kelly Ripa said she had never had bison before; perhaps she got confused over buffalo vs. bison or maybe she never had buffalo.
The Waterton Lake rainbow trout is a regional dish; served by Luthi with swiss chard, mussels, and shrimps. Fish is obviously a healthier source of protein than traditional beef, except for potential mercury. The chef also brought up salmon with mussels and clams with a broth poured over it to produce a bouillabaisse. Luthi pointed out that the dish was very low in fat, probably fewer than 350 calories.
Alberta is known for its beef. The sample dish was beef tenderloin carpaccio with aioli and arugula. During the phone trivia game, Thursday's contestant — David Torres of Fairhaven, MA — had heard of Calgary and Alberta but not Lake Louise. Yet, Torres did know Alberta beef: "not the best looking, but it is the best tasting steak." They didn't even ask him about the beef, but that is what he associated with Alberta.
Dessert was a lovely poached pear with maple mousse. Ripa's co-host, Ben Mulroney, an actual Canadian, said, "nothing says Canada like maple, huh." Agreed.
Ripa, after trying the dessert, chose to dip the dessert in the cheese fondue with truffle. She enjoyed it, even if that freaked out the chef.
The vast majority of Albertans do not eat this way. However, they and other Canadians do incorporate the elk, buffalo, trout, and other creatures along with tastes such as maple to produce a distinct Canadian cuisine. They also eat poutine and donuts from Tim Horton's and lots of foods that look the same as those on American plates. Well, they do put ketchup on their Kraft Dinner (macaroni & cheese) and vinegar (or mayo) on their fries.
So you see, there are a few differences between eating Canadian and eating American.
Special thanks to the coverage of Live with Kelly from CanadianCrossing.com.
photo credit: Live with Kelly
Hi Chad! I wanted to thank you for doing some screen captures of these great dishes as featured on Live with Kelly. I just caught up on her Canadian episodes on my PVR and wanted to blog and share the recipes from her website but I was saddened that there were no images. Thanks bunches! Anna Echols, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada www.TheNotSoDesperateHousewife.wordpress.com
Posted by: A Facebook User | April 17, 2012 at 05:59 PM
Good to hear from you. Just so you know, you can follow my take on Canada at http://CanadianCrossing.com. Hope you have fun with the images.
Posted by: Chad | April 18, 2012 at 11:14 AM