It’s Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada. It’s time to savour food, savour life and savour it all.
In most of the country the narrow daylight that Diana Krall so achingly croons about shines softly on trees glowing with amber, scarlet, magenta and gold leaves. Farmers’ markets bulge with pumpkins ready to line walkways and front porch steps. People take long walks and come home rosy-cheeked and ready to sip a little cider. The transition from summer to winter is long and lingering – languid even.
That’s most of the country. Meanwhile here in Calgary, we woke up to our first blizzard this morning and a blanket of white snow now covers my lawn. That’s life in this land where Rocky mountain steeples tower over these wind-swept and often parches and brittle Prairies below. Still we’ve cause for excitement as we huddle around the fireplace this weekend.
Earlier in the week, local cookbook author extraordinaire Julie Van Rosendaal asked her friends and followers what would be a uniquely Albertan Thanksgiving food? The New York Times had called and wanted her to contribute.
Wowza!
I hoped Julie would be able to write about Winter’s Turkeys because of their humane animal husbandry practices and the taste that results from all the TLC they bestow on their bountiful birds but alas, turkey was already taken. Julie came up with the perfect solution. She wrote about infusing turkey leftovers into something all Albertans love – pirogies
Here’s the article: Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes from Across Canada. Too bad they didn’t spell favourite the Canadian way, eh? Just kidding. The research is thorough. All 10 provinces and three territories are covered and I learned a lot about my own country.
What are your favourite recipes for Canadian Thanksgiving?
I’ll be brining my Winter’s Turkey in a soy and oh so Canadian maple solution before roasting it to bronzed perfection. I’ll make brussel sprouts with bacon, rutabaga puff, sesame coleslaw, Yukon Gold mashes spuds, golden beets with pistachio dressing, herb and mushroom stuffing, tomato aspic and softly spiced orange cranberry sauce. There will be a butternut squash soup to start and a golden apple Tarte Tatin with vanilla ice cream for dessert.
I’ve so much to be thankful for. I hope you and your family and friends enjoy a bounty as rich as Canada’s wherever you may live. It was nice that The New York Times described our food and favourite recipes but just between you and me, I think they missed the thing all Canadians are most grateful for. It’s the fact that we are Canadians.
Happy Thanksgiving indeed.
