Canada Eats

A few weeks ago Lyn of Lex Culinaria sparked a wild fire when she suggested a blogging event to celebrate Canada Day.  My mailbox was instantly filled with eager participants, excitedly sharing thoughts and ideas.  In the end, it was decided that the event would be called "Taste Canada", and Canada's own, food famous, Jennifer of The Domestic Goddess, put together a fantastic intro to the event on her site.

Here we go then. What does Canada taste like to me?

I would have to say that the center of my Canada has always been my parents’ acreage.  It’s where I grew up, spent most of my life and it will always feel like home.  As if it were yesterday, I see the early morning sun shining through the spruce in the backyard and covering my bed in a sea of glimmering light.  I recall climbing trees, building forts and catching a zillion bugs.  I remember Mom and Dad getting us out of bed on hot summer nights so we could watch the passing thunder storms, and all four of us huddling under sleeping bags on the trampoline to gaze in wonder at the northern lights.  I'd have to say that Canada is everything that my family has made it to be.

So, when I started to think about my taste of Canada, I naturally turned to foods passed down to me by my family.  However, in the search for possibilities, I soon realized that most of what I considered to be Canadian was not Canadian at all. My list wasn’t made up of Canadian symbols like poutine, maple syrup or raisin pie, but of foods stemming from my German heritage. At first I was worried that this would be the wrong direction for a Canada Day event, but after much debate I decided that the origin wasn’t what mattered. What makes these foods Canadian is me and because they've become traditions deeply rooted in the soil of my Canadian family they are Canadian.

The one food that really stood out yesterday, when I headed into the kitchen was Grandma’s German Pancakes. Covered generously in plump blueberries, or sweet peach slices these are the perfect taste of home and of summer.

Grandma’s German Pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
pinch salt
1 generous cup of milk
1 egg
blueberries or sliced peaches

Mix together the dry ingredients. Add the milk and egg to the dry and whisk until combined.

Heat the frying pan (Mom always used cast iron, but I find non-stick pans work better with the caramelized sugar) and add the vegetable oil. Be quite generous with it so the pancakes fry up crispy around the edges.

Once the oil is hot add the batter and then quickly arrange whatever fruit you’re using onto the pancake. You need to do this fast so that the fruit can cook into the batter, making it easier to flip. Once the fruit is on, sprinkle the pancake with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. When the edges start to brown, flip the pancake over. Let it sit a minute, don’t get impatient, like me and take it out too soon. Let the sugar melt and get brown and yummy. When you think it’s ready flip it out onto a plate fruit side up. Serve warm plain or drizzled with cream.

Comments

[tara]

I think that your German pancakes are the perfect embodiment of the theme - part of what makes this country so wonderful is the influence of all the cultures that have arrived here. How can you get more Canadian than that? They look absolutely delectable!

[Ana]

What a beautiful post Liz and the pancakes sound delicious. I might try them tomorrow. I have all the ingredients!

[Liz]

Tara,
I agree with you about the cultures of Canada. It makes for an interesting flavor!

Ana,
I hope they work for you. That's the first time I've put the recipe into real measurements. We always just throw everything together until it feels right.

Liz

[Nic]

Great post, Liz. I also love the extra sugar on those pancakes - yum!

[Liz]

Nic,
yeah on these you really shouldn't skimp on the sugar, go hard or go home I say. :o)

[Jennifer]

Liz these look so delicious! And I'm so glad you shared this recipe and the stories behind "your Canada" with us for Taste Canada - it is the perfect addition.

Make sure you start thinking about what you want to write about next year!

[Liz]

Jennifer,
Taste Canada was a great idea. It really gave me a chance to reflect on being Canadian and I learned more than I expected from participating. I also thought it was great to hear from all the other Canadian Foodies!