It was the guys turn to prepare the culinary treats, and 'boy' did they deliver! Comfort Food with a French Canadian theme. Laura and Peter hosted Kaarina, Mike, Rob and me for a Wolfe Island winter getaway.
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Appetizer
Cretons de Quebec, Deux fromages du Québec (Morbier, Crem triple), Pork Rinds, Gherkins, Maple Pecans, Pickled Beans (Rob's & Diane's)
Cocktail: Quebec Cocktail
Soup
Soupe aux pois Résidente
Wine: Campo Viejo Rioja Reserva
Main
Tortiere
Wine: Lupa Meraviglia Tre di Tre (a score of 99 from Luca Maroni)
Dessert
Recette de pouding chômeur
Charlevoix 1608 cheese paired with Chenin Blanc was a prelude to a delicious French Onion soup Laura served the day we arrived. The main culinary event was the following day.
Rob chose the Appetizer course. The 'pate' is typically served cold on morning toast, but it worked nicely as an appetizer served alongside pork rinds, cheese, and maple pecans. There was enough leftover for a breakfast nibble.
Mike found his recipe for Pea Soup from Canadian Living magazine. I wonder if this is one that Laura had a hand in testing when she worked there? Quite delicous!
Peter prepared the tortiere; seasoned boldly with thyme, sage, nutmeg, cloves, salt & pepper. It looked so tasty everyone dove in and we forgot to take a photo, so Laura's Christmas pie above is a stand-in. The pastry was perfect.
Courses were all cooked and prepared ahead of time, with the exception of dessert. Rob made it before dinner and timed it so it would be nice and warm when served. Unfortunately the eggs were forgotten on the counter and didn't make it into the cake batter - pas de problème. Creme fraiche saved the day. Lots of maple syrup! Pouding chômeur, translates to "unemployed man's pudding" or "poor man's pudding," and is a quintessential Québécois dessert that originated during the early years of the Great Depression. Rob remembers his Nova Scotian mom making it when he was a kid in Winnipeg. This particular recipe was from Rideau Hall.
The meal was fantastic! So was the company and winter retreat.Freddy the cat charmed us all and mooched the Cretons de Quebec - as well as some of the pork rinds. Quite hilarious watching him crunch away.
Well fed, he (mostly) ignored the birds at the feeder. Finches, bluejays, junkos, cardinals, chickadees. An Eastern Towhee even made an appearance. Apparently it is quite a hit with the Island's birders, as Laura discovered someone staking out her property to add to his bird list while another visitor traded honey for the privilege.
I always enjoy a good wood fire. Perfect for warming toes and watching dancing flames. Those of us who wanted outdoor fun indulged in some snowshoeing and outdoor hiking.
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