There are only a few precious times in a year when I can experience this pleasure.  The feeling surrounds the satisfaction of staying on for another week or even a single day at the cottage, when the rest of the world seems to have had a hasty supper, packed up the dirty laundry and empties and headed back into the city on a crowded highway.  And here I sit-in the gazebo, with a lovely cool breeze, a Moosehead Lime and no plans or responsibilities except to make sure that I don’t miss out on the sunset.

I don’t take this feeling lightly or for granted.  For one I am aware that we are extraordinarily fortunate to have a summer property.  For two I also know that there is a pecking order for summer holidays, but I am blessed to be self-employed.  For three, I am certain that there are many spouses that would insist that since they must be in the city, their partner are as well.  And here I sit-knowing that half my family has had a lovely weekend of the Folk Festival & Bomber and Goldeyes games and that the other half can join me out here in the next couple of days.

I have had a wonderful time, surrounded by siblings, nephews, nieces,  my  husband and puppy dogs.  So why am I rambling on about feelings instead of musing about food?  Because sometimes that sense of satiation and contentment does not come from a meal well prepared and savoured-it comes from left overs and other sources of fulfillment. Kath’s quote: “Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”–Epicurus

In honour of Canada Day, I asked my Facebook friends which foods best represented the Canadian experience.  Their answers were very revealing:

My friend Jenna said: “Donairs anywhere in the maritimes.”  I had to do some more research as I didn’t know donairs were Canadian.  I found this out: “the donair made in Atalantic Canada are almost always made with a sweetened garlic sauce and this sauce (called donair sauce) is also used as a dipping sauce for eastern Canadian snacks like garlic fingers”.  She then added: “Bison Burgers from the Kleefield Chip Truck”.  

There was another vote for the maritimes when my Newfie friend Susan declared “Mussels in (at?) the corner at the Ship.”  I too think that seafood is a wonderful representation of Canada-our Atlantic and Pacific coasts display beauty to make your heart stop.

My friend Serena added: “BeaverTails (Queues de Castor) on the canals of Ottawa.”  Serena has travelled the country with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet-so I put her opinions right up there.  I look forward to trying these one day.

Another friend named Sue voted for:  “Hotdogs from a cart on Broadway”.  I hasten to say in the summer.  

Sister #3 had the longest list of all: ” Baby Rouge burger at the gas station in St. Pierre Jolys (MB), City Bread Rye and cold cuts with garlicky dill pickles at a social, Jeannie’s cake, mini donuts at the Red River Ex or a Goldeyes game, freshly caught pickerel, real perogies from one of the Ukranian Orthodox Churches or Alycia’s and Bothwell’s red wine cheddar cheese. What a wonderful place to live”.  Perhaps this is the most telling comment of all.  One being the length of her list and two that even though Sister #3 has travelled extensively, these are all foods from home.

We had these Imperial cookies purchased from Einfeld’s Bakery in lake country.  I would add fried Parmesan eaten at a sidewalk cafe in Quebec City,  Atlantic Lobster carried home on a plane to the prairies in a freezer chest, Greek shellfish pie savoured on the Danforth in Toronto, Saskatoon berry anything at one of my all time favourite restaurants-La Bodega in Regina, Alberta grain fed beef at The Keg Steakhouse and Bar and the first time I tasted sushi on Granville Island in Vancouver.

So there is still time to add your favourite.  I’m compiling another list because as I was composing this one, my son added: “Corn Meal Canadian Back Bacon” and so I stopped and made it for his breakfast.

Kath’s quote: “Was I catching the contagious enthusiasm of this Canadian? Was I truly euphoric at the sight of fresh-grilled pork?”
Professor M. Aronnax in ‘Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea’ – Jules Verne (1870)

Sangria is perfect for hot summer days.  The basic recipe below can be altered any number of ways, but provides a good base for your own ideas and innovations.  Traditional sangrias are made with red wine but there are lots of options with white wine too.  Let your imagination run wild.  (I have to admit…after a few afternoon batches my recipes become quite unrestricted in terms of ingredients and ratios.  But no one seems to complain).

#1 Basic

1 bottle dry red wine

1 T sugar

Juice of 1 large orange

Juice of 1 large lemon

Large orange and lemon sliced thin

2 medium peaches – peeled, pitted and cut into chunks

1 cup club soda

Combine all ingredients except club soda and chill overnight.  Add club soda just before serving and serve ice cold.

#2  Spicy

1 bottle red wine (your preference but a Spanish Rioja is nice)

1 lime, lemon and orange cut into wedges

2 T sugar

2 t hot sauce

1 shot of rum

2 L bottle of citrus flavoured soda (I like Fresca, pink grapefruit etc.)

Pour wine into a pitcher and squeeze the juice from the fruit wedges into the wine.  Toss in the fruit and add rum, sugar and hot sauce.  Chill overnight.  Add soda just before serving.

Easy Sangria

Marinate 1 each sliced lemon, lime & orange overnight.  Add or substitute berries, grapes, melon, mangoes or pineapple if you like.  Upon serving, fill a tall glass with ice and mix half of the wine/fruit mixture with 7 up.

Kath’s quote: “Wine is the most healthful and most hygienic of beverages.”-Louis Pasteur

My Papa was a foodie before the word was ever uttered.  One winter (40 years ago) he tried to perfect flat crust pizza dough.  Another time he spent months experimenting with the qualities and flavour varieties of sesame oil. 

His own palate was quite simple- grabbing a plain bun and a piece of sausage for lunch, biting into a ripe pear and not gulping down his coffee until it had reached room temperature.  The only food I ever knew him not to like was celery. 

My habit of making “refrigerator soup” i.e stirring up a pot of whatever is in the fridge comes from my Dad.  He would make amazing hams with intricate marinades and glazes from whatever he found when scrounging around the fridge; one time using up my Mom’s chokecherry jelly, the next time starting with maple syrup. 

He loved steaks pan-fried in butter and would cook one up on a Saturday afternoon for his lunch.  My twin brother and sister and I would sit across the table like little birds waiting for the parent to drop food into their mouths.  Daddy would cut a big bite off for himself and then shave a tender one for one of the open mouths.  It was his turn next and then one of ours after that.  And so it went until the treat was done.

My Dad went to heaven to meet up with his two little brothers in 1997.  I still remember the aromas of his cooking, his crisp and dapper look as he left each morning for the office, his easy ability to cry and the simple and yet eloquent motto he always repeated- “that’s okay.”  It has been 13 Father’s Day’s without you on earth but you are with me every day.  I love you Daddy.

Kath’s quote:  “The fact is that it takes more than ingredients and technique to cook a good meal. A good cook puts something of himself into the preparation — he cooks with enjoyment, anticipation, spontaneity, and he is willing to experiment.”-Pearl Bailey

D and I once drove from Quebec City to Provincetown, Cape Cod, Massachusetts.  Our first night was in Rockport Maine.  We were very excited about our first feed of seafood and chose a restaurant way out on the end of a pier.  The restaurant was an octagon shape like a gazebo and everyone including us, had a view of the sunset. When it was time to order, we were intrigued by what the menu highlighted as their house specialty –crab rolls.  When we inquired with our server what these were, here’s how she described them; “Oh, it’s like a crab salad on a hotdog bun. I don’t know what the big deal is”.  Needless to say, we made another selection.  I don’t remember if we stopped again for seafood along the way, but it wouldn’t have mattered because we were just not tempted to try a crab salad on a hotdog bun.

On one of last days on the Cape, we went whale watching.  It was about noon and we decided to order something for lunch on board.  The selection was poor (a can of tomato soup), so we dashed off the boat, as it was still loading and went to a little stand near the pier.  No-all they have are crab rolls!  We begrudgingly ordered one each.

OH MY GOODNESS!  They were one of the tastiest seafood meals we had on our two week trip.  The crab was so fresh it felt like it would dance in your mouth and the bun was just baked and soft and sweet, but the outside was crusty and chewy.  We thought we had died and gone to sandwich heaven.

Later that afternoon, when we got off the whale watching boat, we went back to the stand and ordered two more for our dinner.  I think we came back the next day for lunch too.  If you work in the hospitality industry…take note.  It may be a boring, old sandwich to you but to a tourist or new customer, it may be their little taste of heaven.

Kath’s quote: “There was an Old Person of Hyde,
Who walked by the shore with his bride,
Till a Crab who came near,
     fill’d their bosoms with fear,
And they said, ‘Would we’d never left Hyde!'”-Edward Lear  (1812-1888)

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