Day 71 Canada

They say that when America sneezes Canada catches a cold. Funny eh? Stretching from the Pacific to the Atlantic up into the Arctic Ocean in the North, Canada is a country torn between two distinct cultures- British and French. On popular demand( from the family) I am making Canadian BLT's and irresistible Butter Tarts, a Canadian specialty.

Canadian bacon or Back bacon is prepared from centre-cut boneless pork loin. What distinguishes it from other bacon is that it is made from the back and not from pork belly and is leaner than the bacon we are used to. Rye was the carb of choice, slathered generously with light mayo with a spoon of mustard whipped in and topped with Canadian Bacon, sliced Provolone or Cheddar, sliced tomato and Escarole leaves.

It's almost impossible to go wrong with a BLT, but it was the Butter Tarts that stole the show!

Frozen pie dough was cut into 5 inch circles and fitted into a muffin pan. The filling was made by beating together butter, brown sugar, corn syrup ( I would leave this out next time)and a pinch of salt. Once creamy, an egg and vanilla essence were mixed in. Raisins were soaked till plump, drained and distributed evenly into each shell. They were topped with a tablespoon of the batter and baked at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, till the tops were bubbly and golden and the kitchen smelled divine.

I was a bit concerned about finding a dish that truly captures the essence of this HUGE country, and put in an SOS call to a friend in Toronto a few days ago. A fellow foodie - she responded quickly with this recipe. This one's a keeper- simply yummy!

Next up Mexico....