Balance of Food

Temptation of the Week: Canadian snack cakes in the United States

The Hostess body may still be warm, but other snack cake companies want to cash in people's desire, albeit lessening, to have a snack cake for dessert.

While Hostess represented Americana, its replacement in the snack aisle might be Canadian?

We have previously talked about the cakes from Vachon that have made their way to some parts of the United States: Jos. Louis and May West, for example.

The company has confirmed what we already know: Vachon wants to bring more of its Canadian delights into the United States.

"We want to grow the U.S. market and we have started to penetrate the east — Vermont and those surrounding states … that's what we started a year ago and we are continuing those efforts," said Saputo spokeswoman Sandy Vassiadis. Saputo owns Vachon and controls the Canadian rights to the Hostess products.

I can only personally vouch for the Jos. Louis and May West snack cakes. Food Republic had a story this week on all the Vachon products. The reporter noted the visual similarities between the Vachon products and the (Hostess products): Chocolate Swiss Rolls (Ho Hos), Croquettes (Twinkies), and Jelly Log (Sno Ball). Flakies might be similar to Hostess Fruit Pies except Flakies are "light and, well, flaky." Piques, Pops, and Miamis may not have a Hostess equivalent.

The Canadian sweet tooth isn't similar to the American sweet tooth, so even if the cakes look similar, they may not match up to the expectation of those who are used to Twinkies.

The other difference between the two countries is that the Jos. Louis snack cakes I have seen in the States are made with sugar while the Canadian versions were using glucose-fructose (high-fructose corn syrup). You would think the reality would be in reverse. In fact, I didn't bring any Jos. Louis cakes back with me from Windsor since I had plenty of them, all made with sugar. Maybe Canadians will cross the border to get a better version of their home country snack cakes.

You might feel un-American by eating Canadian snack cakes rather than Hostess. Though May West is an homage to Mae West, but Jos. Louis isn't named after the famous boxer. Think of having the snack cakes as a diplomatic gesture or international adventure. You can eat the Canadian treats in the United States and cross the border for "American" Twinkies in Canada. The two countries share a lot; each country is the other's largest trading partner. Better add snack cakes to the list.

Richmond, BC gets PR blogger in Lindsay Anderson, but little else

I want to hate Lindsay Anderson.

She is probably a very nice person, but I'm tempted to hate her because she got the coveted role of blogging 365 days a year on the dining scene in Richmond, BC, just south of Vancouver.

I had applied for this position and never heard back. I blog about food and Canada (not always together but usually separately), so I figured an interview was entirely possible. True, Anderson has quite a background.

She also worked as a cheese-monger and baker, and volunteered on several Italian farms where she herded goats, made cheese, harvested olives, and helped plant a vineyard. In 2010, She moved to Italy for a year to earn a master's degree in Food Culture and Communications from the University of Gastronomic Sciences.

They could use a proofreader as "She" should not be capitalized after "2010."

You can't blame me for trying. I wanted to blog about food in Richmond for 365 days, get paid $50,000, and have a free gym membership. I want to live in the Vancouver area.

Did Richmond make the right choice? Well, Anderson takes a lot of pictures so we don't get too many words from her. Regular readers know I am better with words than pictures. Anderson features a few pictures of herself, whereas my pictures would possibly frighten small children. She likes virtually everything, something that I wouldn't have been able to pull off. I respect the right to be truly honest if I don't like something. Perhaps Anderson really likes most everything, but it can be off-putting in the way food TV "loves" everything with equal abandon.

A few of her readers believe she spends too much time in Steveston. You should be aware of these things if you are going to spread yourself throughout a city.

Anderson seemed really proud about making it to 100 days; the post was the first I had heard that someone was indeed blogging for Richmond. I could do 100 days standing on my head; I wouldn't be treating that like it was a marathon.

One new perk not mentioned in the deal was getting to stay in fancy hotels in Richmond. Even though an apartment is part of the deal, a few nights in really nice hotels would have been extra special nice.

Anderson does get to go to a lot of Asian places, an area where I don't have that much experience. I would have offered a fresh perspective.

The ad made it seem like the city was looking for that fresh perspective. However, Anderson is from the area; she has eaten in some of these places before she took the job in June.

Richmond, BC wanted someone to give them publicity about its dining scene, and Anderson does a reasonably good job of doing just that. The challenge of a honest outside blogger giving a perspective on a city's dining scene would draw quite an audience. I would prefer that be in Canada. I will take whatever perks you think would help get the job done. With some notice, I can start really soon. Just send me an e-mail.

photo credit

Canada, United States trade a lot of food, not all of it is good

The United States and Canada share a lot of trade, being each other's largest trading partner. Today, we look at two news stories about food that travels between the two countries.

The first story is about some e-coli contaminated beef that traveled from Canada to the United States, and the slow speed of the Canadian authorities to issue a recall. You may recall my issues with medium-rare burgers in Alberta, home of the famous Alberta beef from Canada.

The second story is about pizza cheese allegedly smuggled from the United States to Canada. Pizza cheese is rather expensive in Canada and is better, too. The potential for using lower quality cheese at the high prices should be a food crime in itself.

For more details, check out this column from our sister blog, CanadianCrossing.com.

Chick-Fil-A twist proves restaurants need to be about love, not hate

Today is unofficially Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day, though the appreciation has very little to do with fried chicken. Some conservatives, started by former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR), wanted to show their support for Dan Cathy, president of Chick-Fil-A, and his stance on "traditional marriage."

What seems most puzzling was that while the controversy had been brewing for some time, nothing Cathy said recently was any different than what he has said in the past. The tone and words were a little different, but the message was the same.

Chick-Fil-A supports organizations fighting against gay marriage. Some see a distinction between this and being anti-gay; others don't.

The Muppets reacted as if they did not know what was going on. So did many others. And unlike in previous skirmishes, conservatives such as Huckabee, Rick Santorum, and Billy Graham decided to publicly support the restaurant chain.

Previous coverage:

Temptation of the Week: Can Chick-Fil-A co-exist with gay?

Chick-Fil-A or gay: you should choose, but choose wisely

As we noted in earlier coverage, Chick-Fil-A started this discussion after the chain expanded into markets not traditionally a part of the Chick-Fil-A experience. Not to pigeonhole people, but Southerners are more likely to be against gay marriage or at least live in a state where gay marriage laws weren't likely to be passed.

Moving up north and east was going to cause some friction, though the Chick-Fil-A folks seemed ready for that, bending over backwards to point out that the chain served all people and didn't discriminate against those eating in the restaurant.

The interview that provoked the latest battle went against what was the PR approach. And tensions escalated as a result.

Chick-Fil-A also suffered from a PR standpoint with bizarre accusations about kids were being injured by getting their fingers stuck in the Muppets toys. Yes, the implication was that the chain introduced that children were getting injured when they actually weren't. If that charge is true, Chick-Fil-A has a worse PR issue on its hands. A fake Facebook account from "Abby Farle" defended the restaurant chain. The restaurant chain denied any connection. Coincidences happen, but the timing doesn't help the chain.

I thought I was done writing about politics and Chick-Fil-A, figuring those who knew and chose not to go there had their beliefs and those who knew but still wanted to go to Chick-Fil-A would do what they wanted to do.

You don't know how McDonald's or Wendy's or Carl's Jr. feels about abortion or gay marriage or the Keystone XL pipeline. Chances are, you like it that way. But you also know that Chick-Fil-A, right or wrong, thinks it's more important to stand up. After all, the folks at In 'n' Out stand up for what they believe, and liberals like that.

The lone store in Chicago, the lone store in New York City, the potential second store in Chicago, the theoretical store(s) in Boston, and other locations in the upper Midwest and Northeast are very unlikely to be behind the same activities as their corporate headquarters. The same is true of Domino's, even though we knew a significant portion of the profits was going to anti-abortion activities.

Politics and food is more in the food itself than where some of the money goes. Chipotle gets a benefit for the kind of meats it uses and how those animals are raised -- this is where politics and food make more sense. Even then, using animals that are raised well shouldn't be a political issue.

Of the four possible groups, two of them don't really matter to this discussion:
-- Those who love Chick-Fil-A who don't support gay marriage or equal rights.
-- Those who would never eat in a Chick-Fil-A and support gay marriage and equal rights.

The attention has been on those who like Chick-Fil-A but are troubled about where their money goes. They have been paying more attention to this issue since they are more likely to read up on current events. Someone may have joined this group because they just learned about this issue with the recent publicity.

The fourth group is just kicking in: those who didn't care about Chick-Fil-A one way or another but suddenly rush in because they don't support gay marriage or they support conservatives.

Chick-Fil-A's kicked-in stance went from being an issue of religion to a level of discrimination. The PR collapse is remnant of Tom Cruise before the couch jumping versus couch jumping. (Obviously, the sudden death of Chick-Fil-A PR head Don Perry did not help.) Watching the company defend "traditional marriage" and having Jon Stewart read Biblical verses with marriages that no one would consider traditional in 2012 shows that even those who love the Bible don't always know what is contained within.

Dan Cathy went against the PR grain on a conservative talk radio show and discovered that people outside the secluded evangelical circle are paying attention. On Friday, a "kiss-in" protest will show Chick-Fil-A that their stance is all about love.

Chick-Fil-A has the right to believe what it wants to believe. The chain is putting its money in what it believes. People have the right to put their money in what they believe. We'll have to wait and see whether Chick-Fil-A's move will backfire. Pretty safe to say no other fast food chain will test that theory.

Hospital patients, school children both need better focus on nutrition

U.S. schools try to feed lunch for the children in their care for less than $3, and we think that is a poor investment. The CBC reported last week on hospital food in Canada, where hospitals spend 1% of their budget on food, feeding their patients for $8/day — three meals and two snacks.

For that $8, patients aren't getting the proper nutrition needed to recover well.

This is in Canada where single-payer health insurance rules the day, unlike here in the States, where most Americans are still in pre-Obamacare mode.

The CBC story emphasizes this mentality where food — especially nutritious food — isn't a high of a priority as it should be in our society.

Kids need nutrition to do better in schools. Patients need nutrition to get better so they spend less time in hospital beds.

When cost is offered up as an issue, wasted food adds to those costs. Unlike schools, hospitals often have wasted food because of bad timing (e.g., patients have to fast before a procedure, but still get a meal anyway).

Schools, like hospitals, could have gardens on their roofs to bring in fresh vegetables. Administratively, more could be done in both climates to better spend that shrinking food dollar, such as reducing waste. And students and patients will have to appreciate the fresher food, once it arrives.

Students and patients are in a vulnerable position, where others have to care for them. How well they do comes in part with the food and nutrition level they receive during their stay. Both groups need good nutrition to get stronger and feel better. The investment may seem costly and difficult to implement, but society is better off when it is food-smart and nutrition-wise.

Temptation of the Week: Canadian fat cakes

I've never had a fat cake, Canadian or American. I want one.

The only problem is that fat cakes aren't real.

I'm not in the ideal demo for iCarly, but was glad to stumble on the episode where most of the cast tours a plant where Canadian fat cakes are made. Sam (left), one of the lead characters, is obsessed with fat cakes. She has heard that fat cakes in Canada taste better because they are made with "cane fat" while American Fat Cakes are made with "corn fat."

The catch for Sam is that you aren't allowed to bring in Canadian Fat Cakes into the United States. Sam tries to bring them back across the border strapped to her person under a long coat. Unfortunately for Sam, she gets caught smuggling them back.

You certainly can bring back processed baked goods from Canada into the United States. Long-time readers know of my adventures with Canadian Twinkies. And before glucose-fructose (HFCS) came to Canada, I brought back Canadian versions of soft drinks.

As it turns out, Fat Cakes have been a floating theme through the show. According to this wikia, they are "made with marshmallow and have pink coconut shavings on top and a chocolate cake in the middle with cream filling."

Sounds like more of a take on Sno Balls. They don't sound like much of a temptation, though Jennette McCurdy, the actress who plays Sam, convinces you that they are worth risking the wrath of customs. If Canadian Twinkies were illegal in the United States, I'd be tempted to smuggle them into the States.

We often are tempted by what we can't have, whether that is a certain fast food restaurant or regional favorite. When we travel somewhere, we want to retain that experience long after our trip is over.

I have "smuggled" garlic back from San Francisco on the plane, but within your own country, you can bring such things back without any customs trouble.

When you travel outside the country, you are subject to restrictions on what you can "smuggle" back into your home country. Plants and meat bring up red flags, as tempting as that ham from Spain can be.

If you aren't sure, check with the laws in the country where you live, since that is where you'll be returning. If what you want to bring back fits within those confines, travel and enjoy your food experience, wherever that takes you.

Amusingly, this episode originally aired just after Michelle Obama was in an episode of iCarly. From good health to fat cakes, a true Balance of Food.

For the Canadian take, check out this story from our sister blog, CanadianCrossing.com.

photo credit: iCarly

Wendy's trying to make poutine Canada's national dish

Couldn't help but pass on the word in our unofficial poutine coverage that Wendy's is launching a petition — a "Poutition" — to make poutine Canada's national dish.

Wendy's is using this as an excuse to launch poutine on its menu in Canada. For all the poutine I have eaten, none of them has come from a major fast food chain. The better question for the American audience is whether Wendy's or McDonald's or Burger King would ever bring this across the border.

Canada is a rather large country and poutine is mostly a Quebec thing.

Then again, what is the United States' national dish? Mac & cheese? Hot dogs? High-fructose corn syrup?

The idea of one national dish seems unfair to the rest. If nothing else, we should vote on the national dish … for both countries.

For the whole take, check out this story from out sister blog, CanadianCrossing.com.

photo credit: Wendy's

Distinct Canadian cuisine through the eyes of Live with Kelly

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

Jayma Mays proclaims love for poutine on Live with Kelly in Canada

"I am in love with poutine" — Jayma Mays

When Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa were in Prince Edward Island in 2010, they raved about the fresh seafood, potatoes, and Cows ice cream (extra butterfat). But they never mentioned poutine.

And even though Ripa is in Banff, Alberta, Canada this week, the last thing you would have expected from a non-Canadian guest was proclaimed love for poutine.

But there was Jayma Mays, star of Glee, extolling the virtues of the Canadian delicacy. "It's heaven in a bowl," she exclaimed.

Ripa started out the transition by noting that her producer said Mays had fallen in love with Canadian French fries.

Shortly after Mays shared her love for poutine, someone brought out a large bowl of poutine. Ripa, co-host Chris Harrison, and Mays ate from a large bowl of poutine.

"That is incredible," Ripa said after she tried it.

We have written quite a bit about poutine. If you eat well most of the time, you can indulge in such treats if that is how you want to spent your "food currency." Mays is a tiny young woman, so you can imagine that while she loves poutine, she doesn't have it all the time. And she is in great shape.

Yes, celebrities can spend more time getting in shape than the average person. Mays shows you that it can be done.

Ironically, Ripa and Harrison didn't discuss poutine with Caroline Rhea, a guest later in yesterday's episode. Rhea is from Montréal, home of poutine.

Now, the two main Regis Philbin co-hosts have tried poutine on television. Kathie Lee Gifford had lobster poutine in Montréal on the Today show in 2011.

I recently tried the house poutine as a poutine shop in Chicago, devoted mostly to poutine. The poutine was rather good, but way too costly at $10. Poutine is a food for the masses, not for those who pay $10 for a snack. The poutine with fois gras was less than that at Au Pied de Cochon in Montréal when I had it there in 2009.

Poutine is making its way slowly into the United States, and Jayma Mays love for poutine will help speed up the process.

CanadianCrossing.com is carrying summaries all this week of the episodes of Live with Kelly in Banff.

photo credit: WABC-TV/New York

An American peek into Canadian Thanksgiving

If you're Canadian and Jewish, your stomach might resemble a roller coaster.

Over the long weekend, you had Yom Kippur (day of fasting) from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown, and then Thanksgiving Sunday and Monday. Oy vey, eh!

Seriously, Happy Thanksgiving to our Canadian readers. Canada celebrates its Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October. A few in the United States also have today off for Columbus Day.

Canadians eat pretty much what Americans eat for Thanksgiving. Canadians are more likely to eat more wild animals (elk) than we do, but the basic menu is the same. Like the U.S. Thanksgiving, Canadians also celebrate with football on TV.

If you share lineage in both the United States and Canada, you can enjoy both Thanksgiving celebrations.

Sharing a Canadian Thanksgiving makes you appreciate the commonality between the two countries (as exemplified in our sister blog, CanadianCrossing.com), especially when it comes to food. And the weather is a lot nicer when Canada celebrates the festive holiday.