Canadian Crossing

'iCarly' hits Canada in search of Canadian Fat Cakes

No matter what you've heard on "iCarly," you can bring processed baked goods from Canada into the United States.

Then again, even if you are a part of the "iCarly" demographic, hopefully you know that the Canadian Fat Cakes episode was just a spoof.

The popular Nickelodeon TV show took Fat Cakes, one of their running jokes, and adapted an episode where Sam, who is obsessed about Fat Cakes and has never had a Canadian fat cake, gets a chance to tour a plant in Canada where they make Canadian fat cakes. Fat cakes in Canada taste better because they are made with "cane fat" while American Fat Cakes are made with "corn fat."

Processed baked goods are well within the rules of what you can bring back from Canada into the United States. Trust me, I've brought back Canadian versions of Twinkies, Ding Dongs, and Cup Cakes. The customs officers think they're more funny than dangerous.

Since the show mentions Seattle, the inference is that the cast went to Vancouver or somewhere nearby in southwestern Britian Columbia.

Besides the actual ability to bring back processed baked goods, one other glaring misstep in the script was that Sam didn't have her passport when she tries to go back across the border to the United States. Sam would have needed a passport to get into Canada. She seems surprised about this when she gets to the border. Especially since this was a day trip, Sam would have had this issue come up earlier in the day.

For more from the food perspective, check out this edition of "Temptation of the Week" from our sister blog, BalanceofFood.com.

photo credit: iCarly

Want to help make poutine Canada's national dish?

Okay, so this is more about Wendy's trying to get publicity for putting poutine on its menu, but the idea of signing a petition to make poutine Canada's national dish was too good to pass up.

McDonald's has served poutine in its locations in Quebec for some time. I've seen it in a Burger King, but I haven't ordered it in either well-known fast food chain. If Wendy's uses its skin-on fries, this might be the one fast food poutine I would try.

Chances are that if you are in Canada, you might be more willing to try a local poutine place than a national place. But if you're traveling, and a Wendy's is at the roadside, you might see if the fuss is worthwhile.

The "Poutition" is designed to be presented to Parliament on July 1 (Canada Day). Canadians will be able to see and hear ads for this cause.

I have hosted a talk on Canadian food, and while poutine came up in conversation, Canadian food is way more than just poutine. Still, Canada doesn't really have a national dish, and outside Quebec, poutine is more novel than anything else. If nothing else, poutine is becoming more popular in the United States.

Then again, what is the United States' national dish. Mac & cheese? Hot dogs?

What do you think about poutine as Canada's national dish? Is there a better option? Let us know in the comments section below or clue us in on the Canadian Crossing Twitter feed.

photo credit: Wendy's

Canada weakens food safety as part of Harper budget cuts

Especially with NAFTA, when a NAFTA member country cuts back on food safety, good results never come as a result.

In the Harper budget cuts, food safety takes a much sharper cut than other federal agencies. The memory of the listeriosis outbreak in 2008 is still fresh, even if the deli meat wasn't. 22 deaths and 35 serious illnesses resulted from the outbreak.

In the last Canadian federal election, the Conservatives promised $100 million more in spending over a 5-year period for food safety. Wonder how that will turn out.

How food safety became a political issue on both sides of the border is startling. Conservatives eat food just like liberals and others.

At least Canada has a federal agency — Canadian Food Inspection Agency — devoted to food safety. The U.S. can't even spare that as a concept, real or weak.

For more on this story, check out our perspective from our sister blog, BalanceofFood.com.

Does all of Canada have culinary high school programs?

An article on Grist.org wondered that in talking about a program at Jasper Place High School in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

"(yes, Canada apparently has culinary programs in high school)"

Well, just because they do in Edmonton doesn't mean they are scattered throughout Canada. Heck, Canada doesn't even have a national school lunch program.

This does sounds pretty awesome, especially given how far north Edmonton is. Even if it isn't everywhere, good to see someone in Canada put together this type of project.

For more, check out our summary on our sister blog, BalanceofFood.com.

Potato chips, Canadian style

One of my treasured activities when traveling to Canada is to study the contrast in Canadian food products vs. the United States.

In a light-hearted look through the "eyes" of Canadians, I submit these potato chips photo essay of bags of chips you can find in Canada, but not in the United States. Pickle-flavored Doritos. All-dressed Ruffles.

The one Canadian-favorite flavor of chips that perplexes Americans is ketchup chips. And ketchup chips are rather unusual in the United States. The other flavors aren't found in the States, but they might do better: sour cream and bacon, sure; pickle chips, well, maybe for pregnant women.

The beauty of travel is seeing that other countries have variations based on their own tastes, and seeing how well someone does with the typical American junk food of potato chips.

So take the time to see all the chips bags in their grocery store glory. Yes, they are all here, in picture form, in this take from our sister blog, BalanceofFood.com.

Canada stands up to threat against cheese purity

Canada beat back the threat to reduce cheese in the Great White North to the lower standards of the United States. The Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear an appeal from cheese manufacturers Saputo and Kraft. The companies wanted to use more milk solids and less milk in making cheese.

Canadians refer to "processed cheese" what Americans call "cheese." Which would you rather eat?

For more on this story, check out our sister site BalanceofFood.com.

Canada's Jos. Louis snack cakes now in United States

Imagine my shock and amazement when I saw Jos. Louis snack cakes at a distant Jewel food store, and then later a Jewel about a mile from where I live.

I first had them in Montréal and Quebec City, and then later in Toronto and Windsor. But seeing them in the United States, well, that will make it easier to bring back other food from my upcoming trip to Windsor.

Many more details can be found in the story for BalanceofFood.com.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving 2011: Eating a little turkey

Happy Thanksgiving to our Canadian readers and to those who are celebrating the holiday. The Canadian Thanksgiving falls on the second Monday in October.

I took a look at the significance of the Canadian Thanksgiving from the food perspective; details available here from our sister blog, BalanceofFood.com.

Our Canadian readers and those Americans connected to ESPN3.com can watch the traditional Thanksgiving Day doubleheader. This year, two road teams playing for next year try to upset a divisional rival: Toronto travels to Molson Stadium in Montréal to battle the Alouettes, and Saskatchewan goes to Commonwealth Stadium to take on the Edmonton Eskimos.

'South Park' showcases poutine

Poutine is spreading throughout America. "South Park" took its shot about poutine, though Cartman thinks poutine is McDonald's French fries dipped in a hot tub of KFC gravy.

The cheese curds were missing from the "South Park" version, though Kyle points out that they call it poutine in Montréal.

Miller Park in Milwaukee added poutine to its menu. Poutine finished second in a contest to add an item to the ballpark menu. Well, Wisconsin is close to Canada, and the state has a lot of cheese.

More on the food element here via our sister blog, BalanceofFood.com.

The South Park episode also made fun of Canadian singer Sarah McLachlan. "And I was famous for two months" -- there is an ad that plays on the abandoned dogs and cats that McLachlan helps in a PSA.

The South Park episodes will eventually air on the Comedy Channel in Canada, but for now, airs on Comedy Central in the United States.

No trip to Windsor this May, will be back in November

For the first time in a long time, there is no May trip to Windsor over the Victoria Day weekend. There are a few reasons for this is so, an almost perfect storm of events that likely won't be repeated for some time.

Though there isn't anything that can be done about it, I'm not thrilled about this.

The turnaround would have been really tight, and the customs have been more, uh, unpleasant. But walking the streets, picking up some Canadian food, eating a little poutine and Italian food and that diner down the street.

The Globe and Mail in my hands, the Canadian TV channels on my TV, even the recyclables bins around downtown Windsor.

We will definitely be there for the Windsor International Film Festival. And the trip will have more meaning, knowing it will be the first and only trip this year.