A Thanksgiving Up North

 Happy Thanksgiving to our Canadian neighbors to the north. Like us , they have a day of feasting and thanking mixed with cooking and hosting. Their recipes reflect who they are and the great products the country is known for.

American home chefs could use this day and the Candian recipes as a tester day for our Thanksgiving next month. Maple syrup is big in Quebec province and it can be used for both sweet and savory recipes. Of course the most obvious way to go with it for yams or sweet potatoes.The syrup's earthy flavor brings out the yam's or the sweet potatoes own sweet flavor, however be sparing with it. You don't want ot to taste like candy. Lemon juice is often added to cut the sugariness.Another take on them is cutting the sweet potatoes or yams into planks, brushing with a combination of melted butter or margarine and then air frying them  This gives the fries a nice crispy exterior while still maintaining a soft meaty inside. Maple syrup can also be used as a glaze for turkey too. This is sually made with the addition of orange juice, and vegetable stock. Wait thirty minutes before poring over the roasting bird. It's then poured over the bird again two and a half hours after the first glazing and when the oven temperature has been lowered. The extra glaze can be pured over the finished roast or served as a sauce alongside it.

What do you stuff a Canadian Thanksgiving bird with? A  French Canadian stuffing!!! It's usually a meat based one as opposed to the American  mostly bread kind. The Quebecois version is usually a mix of both pork and beef along with two large chopped onions. There is bread as a base but also some families add breadcrumbs as well. Their sides are like ours. There's always a big bowl of homemade mashed potatoes and Brussel sprouts, the last usually served with crumbled bacon on top. Are Thanksgiving Day desserts the same up north as they are here? There are pumpkin and apple pies but there are also mouth watering butter tarts too. These are miniature pies usally filled with raisins, quarter of a cup of butter,corn syrup and brown sugar.Eggs are added for a custardy silkiness and vanilla for more flavor. The tarts can be topped with either whipped cream, creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream.Another popular Thanksgiving (and year round ) dessert is the nanaimo bar , named for the British Columbia city of Nanaimo. It's a rich layered bar , made with a chocolate and coconut laced cracker crumb  as the first layered topped with a custardy middle.It's then  topped with a chocolate candy topping. They have to be chilled between layers to get that neat tricolor look.Shortbread is also baked for the holiday with some home chefs adding maple syrup for flavor.

To all our Canadian friends, enjoy this holiday. Give thanks for delicious food and recipes handed down, Be grateful for what you have.

Springy Sauces From San-J

The warm weather is here and that means barbecues and sauces. San-J, creators of gluten free soy sauce has come out with two zingy sauces perfect for the grilling season. They will liven up any cook out and give that special oomph to any meat or fish.

San Jirushi or San-J is one of Japan's oldest soy sauce manufacturers. The company was started in 1802 by the Sato family. Their sauces derive from ancient recipes for miso and tamari or soy sauce. Unlike American brands that dilute theirs with wheat which means there's also gluten in it as well. San J has always made the purest sauces using only one hundred per cent soy. This creates a richer sauce with a smoother flavor and texture. Now they're expanding into sauces - perfect for the upcoming barbecue season. Like the other sauces they are gluten free, perfect for those who suffer from celiac disease.The flavors are varied, from Thai Peanut to Mongolian to Szechuan. I like their sauces tremendously, especially for turning boring chicken and soy nuggets into exciting eats.The Sweet and Tangy has a tropical fruit taste , ripe with pineapple and the tang of garlic. The Orange sauce starts out with a burst of sweet orange followed by a nutty aftertaste. This is due to the addition of the fermented tamari sauce . Another reason to like both sauces is that they're made with organic ingredients like apple and pineapple juices for the Sweet and Tangy and orange juice and organic honey for the Orange Sauce.

Home chefs are going to go crazy over the many different dishes they can create with these two sauces.The Sweet and Tangy is perfect for any chicken recipe.Think kebobs marinaded in it
along  with extra pineapple juice for a sweet South Pacific treat.Marinate diced chicken, green pepper strips and pineapple chunks in the sauce foe two hours. Layer on six inch skewers and grill. Have a bowl of the Sweet and Tangy on the table too for dipping. You can also make Polynesian shrimp this way too.Another fun idea is having the sauce as a dip for  barbecued  jerk veggies, chicken and shrimp . can get a sweet spike from the sauce too. Pork is a great medium for  this sauce and the Orange Sauce. The pineapple juice or orange juice enzymes will be perfect in tenderizing the meat. Marinate a one pound  roast with half a cup of the Sweet and Tangy  before roasting. Orange sauce and duck go together and home chefs can make an exotic outdoor cooked  version of duck l'orange.Instead of making an involved  sauce use San-J's Orange. It can also be used on Cornish hens along with chicken breasts to create tasty, crisp and sweet barbecue.The sauce would also be good slathered on chicken wings and also as a dipping sauce for them.

The barbecue season is fast upon us . Try San-J's Sweet and Tangy and Orange sauce to liven up those kebobs and wings along with outdoor roasts.It's a tasty and exotic spin on American cook outs.

SuperBowl Battle Wings Vs Ribs

 There's a big battle that will be brewing this Super Bowl Sunday. No, it won't be Giants beating up Patriots fans or vice  versa. It's wing lovers against rib affectionados. These two football game staples always cause controversy over which is better and which is THE dish to serve.

Both wings and ribs are tasty. They're greasy (if cooked wrong), salty, spicy and  flavorful. Yet which one is better? Calories wise wings are a tad less  healthier for you. One wing is only 94 calories however most people will devour at least twenty or thirty which means close to two thousand calories. A rack of baby ribs are 250 calories however most big eaters will crunch through three or four racks by the time the fourth quarter comes. However the chicken does come with the healthy benefit of celery sticks (albeit they're dripping with ranch dressing).

What about flavor? Chicken wings can be made with a host of different sauces and marinades. The Wing Zone,a fast food joint specializing in them offers at least twelve different coatings , ranging from the  very mild to the very hot.Ribs also can have a plethora of flavors  and also can be either dry rubbed or marinaded.Unlike wings which only comes in chicken (although I'm sure there are turkey ones waiting to be discovered), they can be from  beef or pork cuts . There is the fat factor as well and there is more mess with ribs  than with chicken wings.

What will you have on Super Bowl Sunday. Wings or ribs?Or will you be diplomatic and enjoy both?