The Chicago Tribune had quite a complimentary editorial about Canada today. They talk about Canada's successes being to avoid the mistakes their neighbor to the south has made. From health care to banks to oil, Canada has done it right. Goofy, you should be proud!

The article also mentioned a traditional Quebec dish that is now popular in Chicago's trendiest restaurants. Poutine. Have you heard of it? I have not, but I am not sure I want to try it. Here's how the Tribune describes it:

quote:

Consider poutine. This homely dish, a tradition in Quebec, has become a popular menu item at some of Chicago's trendiest eateries. Take a mess of french fries, sprinkle on cheese curds then ladle brown gravy all over it. Embellishments range from foie gras to kimchi. Reactions range from "Yuck" to "Yum."

Really? It sounds awful to me!

We spoke about it here and (fleetingly) here.

I first heard of the dish when a Canadian member of a model airplane forum I frequent said that his vices included nicotine, gasoline, and poutine. He wasn't Quebecois, so it must have spread widely in Canada.

Really? It sounds awful to me!

I've known about it for a decade or two. I used to work with a Quebecker about six or seven years ago, and I know I discussed it with him. How can you go wrong with French fries and gravy? The fresh cheese curds (and I'm told they must be absolutely fresh) sound intriguing, too. The Germans have a dish called Currywurst that you can usually get a fast food stands: it's fries with chopped sausage covered with a curry sauce. It is delcious and just the thing on a cold night.

Poutine is quite trendy in Toronto right now. I've never had it; it's not vegetarian.

Canadia by MC Frontalot, Jesse Dangerously and Wordburglar (lyrics)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: goofy,

quote:

Originally posted by zmježd:
How can you go wrong with French fries and gravy?

By calling them French fries? Aren't they pommes frites in Quebec?

Geoff, munching his non-freedom from J.R. Simplot fries http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._Simplot

By calling them French fries? Aren't they pommes frites in Quebec?

Well, if I called them pommes frites wouldn't I have to call the gravy sauce brune? And, the rest of the sentence would have to be in French or something like it.

Do the anglophones in Canada call fries chips?

quote:

We spoke about it here and (fleetingly) here.

Well, I think I can be forgiven on that 2003 entry, but you'd think I would have remembered the August 2012 entry!

I liked CJ's post saying to eat it and then "...get to your cardiologist as quickly as possible." Isn't it the truth?

French for fries is frites (also pommes de terre frites, right?) Frites means "chips" in English, which is where the English must get chips. And, it sounds close to "fries," so I am wondering if that's where the Americans got it. Does anyone know?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kalleh,

quote:

Originally posted by goofy:

quote:

Originally posted by zmježd:
Do the anglophones in Canada call fries chips?

Yes.

And in other British countries. With mushy peas in parts of UK

Chips and peas with a dollop of butter sounds very tasty to me!

Geoff, heading towards the kitchen...

quote:

Originally posted by Kalleh:
French for fries is frites (also pommes de terre frites, right?) Frites means "chips" in English, which is where the English must get chips. And, it sounds close to "fries," so I am wondering if that's where the Americans got it. Does anyone know?

chip first meant "a small thin piece of wood", then "A thin irregular slice of a fruit, etc. spec. fried pieces of potato, usu. oblong in shape".

The verb fry is borrowed from French frire "to fry", and frite is the past participle of frire. The noun fry is a nounification of the verb fry.

Thanks, goofy. I see I was way off.