Taste Canada

    When we received an email a few weeks ago detailing a Canadian food blogger event called Taste Canada, we weren't sure what we could possibly write about. This is a pizza blog, and, as far as we know, Canada has had very little to do with the evolution of our most beloved pie. What is sold as 'Canadian' pizza in many pizzerias, usually identified by the inclusion of 'Canadian bacon,' is simplistic and uninspired. Is that the best we can do? Surely there is more to Canadian food than its regional specialties.

    To answer this age-old question we decided to take a Canadian specialty beyond its logical conclusion. Why not take poutine, a signature Canadian dish, and combine it with pizza! It seemed like a great idea at the time.

    The concept of poutine pizza wasn’t too difficult: instead of sauce, use gravy; instead of mozzarella, use cheese curds; and instead of the usual toppings, use French fries. On top of our homemade dough we added St. Hubert poutine gravy, store brand crinkle cut fries, and St. Albert cheese curds. After an aborted attempt to use our pizza stone (we're still trying to get the hang of it) we threw the first of two pizzas into the oven.

    The result was, well, interesting. Beyond the obvious visual oddities, our poutine pizza was surprisingly good. It seems as though our peculiar experiment did turn out; it was not, however, the sum of its parts. Pizza and poutine, both separately delicious when done well, isn’t nearly as delicious when they’re combined.

    This leads us back into the question of Canadian food in general. Does it really have to be identified by its quirks? We think that our little project proves that it doesn't have to be that way. Our favourite food experiences, whether it is pizza or falafel or just a burger on the bbq, show us that all food is great when it is made with the best ingredients that Canada has to offer. It has nothing to do with poutine, Canadian bacon, or maple syrup.

    So when you feel stuck in the emotional prison of your next cultural-identity crisis, try to remind yourself that what identifies us isn't what's unique about us but what is best about us. And we make it look easy.

Happy Canada Day!

If you would like to check out other blogs that have participated in Taste Canada there is a listing here.

Posted by Jim at June 27, 2005 10:54 PM