Savour Calgary - Holiday Edition 2022

Afew weeks ago, I learned a new word. Commensality. Not sure how this one escaped me for so long. While dictionary definitions describe its meaning as the act of eating together, the nuance goes much deeper. It speaks to the connection between people who eat together and more pointedly, the fundamental sense of belonging breaking bread cultivates. As Savour Calgary embarks on its fourth year of publication, we reflect on the sense of belonging our community has engendered. That’s the beauty of commensality, isn’t it? That we can be enriched by coming to the table with our own stories and a genuine curiosity to hear the stories of others. Eating together is embracing one another. Eating together is accepting one another into your circles. Eating together is an opportunity to mend hurts, create memories and take care of one another. This season, we'll also be mindful of those who have no one with whom to share a meal. The isolation and loneliness our neighbours experience becomes so poignant this time of year. This is our invitation to practice commensality this holiday season. Invite someone new to the table. Share a meal with a neighbour who may not have anyone else. Embrace one another. Accept one another. Take care of one another the way you have taken care of Savour Calgary over the last three years. We’re grateful for your love and support.

From our table to yours, happy holidays.

Camie Leard, Editor camie@savourcalgary.ca

Saltine Cracker Toffee

Known to some as “Christmas Crack,” this saltine cracker toffee recipe is the holiday treat that’s salty, sweet, crunchy, and chewy — it really ticks all of the (holiday) boxes!

40 salted saltine crackers, or enough to line your pan

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400°F.

2 cups couverture milk chocolate drops or semisweet chocolate drops

Optional - 3/4 cup chopped almonds, pecans, cashews, or pistachios

2. Line 15x10x1-inch pan or large rimmed cookie sheet with foil or parchment and spray it with cooking spray.

3. Place saltine crackers in a single layer in the pan.

4. In a small saucepan, heat butter and brown sugar to boiling over medium heat. Continue boiling for 3 minutes. Immediately pour over saltines; spread to cover crackers completely. Guard against burns, caramel is HOT!

5. Bake in the oven for 5 to 6 minutes or until bubbly. Watch carefully and don’t over bake! The sugar can burn quickly at the high temperature.

6. Remove from oven; sprinkle couverture chocolate drops over top. Let stand a minute or two to melt; spread evenly with a spatula (don’t forget to lick the spatula when you’re done). Alternate method: in microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate drops uncovered on High about 1 minute or until they can be stirred smooth; spread over crackers. If desired, top with chopped nuts (optional).

7. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 40 minutes. Refrigerate 15 to 20 minutes or until chocolate is firm. Break into pieces.

Store saltine cracker candy in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks. It is extra crunchy when it’s chilled.

PUBLISHER

Debbie Lambert debbie@savourcalgary.ca

EDITOR

Camie Leard camie@savourcalgary.ca

DIGITAL MEDIA EDITOR Wanda Baker

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Tanya Schaap tanya@savourcalgary.ca

MAGAZINE DESIGN

Cheryl Starr Design Group stellardesign.ca

COVER Digital collage by Camie Leard

CONTRIBUTORS

Janey Bevan Russel Broom Fareen Jadavji Jessa Ellen Kelly Camie Leard Anila Lee Yuen Mark Neufeld Dana Pugh Pam Rocker Andy Schultz Tanya Schaap Grace Wang

ADVERTISING SALES

Ellen Kelly ellen@savourcalgary.ca Brigitte Lessard-Deyell brigitte@savourcalgary.ca

WEBSITE TECHNICAL ADVISOR Todd Robertson web@savourcalgary.ca

DISTRIBUTION

James Norman distribution@savourcalgary.ca PRINTING CentralWeb

Savour Calgary is a bi-monthly magazine published by Savour Calgary Ltd. Savour Calgary is published six times per year. Winter, Early Spring, Late Spring, Summer, Fall, Holiday

CONTACT INFORMATION

PHONE: 403.475.5809 EMAIL: info@savourcalgary.ca

POST MAIL: c/o 42 Candle Terrace SW, Calgary, T2W 6G7

FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE US AT savourcalgary.ca

FOR EDITORIAL INQUIRIES CONTACT camie@savourcalgary.ca Savour Calgary has made all efforts to ensure that content in the magazine is accurate on the date of publication. The views expressed in the articles reflect the author(s) opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or editor. The published material, advertisements, editorials and photographs along with all other content is published in good faith and Savour Calgary cannot guarantee and accepts no liability for any loss or damage of any kind caused by any errors, omissions and for the accuracy of claims made by the advertisers or any other contributors. All trademarks presented in this magazine are owned by the registered owner and Savour Calgary will be held harmless in the event that the advertiser or contributor has submitted trademarks for which they do not have authorization from the owner. All rights reserved by Savour Calgary and nothing can be partially or in whole be reprinted or reproduced without the written consent of the publisher at Savour Calgary Ltd.

Story and photos by JANEY BEVAN*

THE DOUPE FAMILY PUMPKIN PIE

They say history is written by victors, and the victors were almost always men.

Herstory is often lost to us, except perhaps in the recipe books, boxes, clippings and cards handed down from mother to daughter over generations. I still use the Christmas pudding recipe my greatgrandmother wrote down in the late 1800s.

I spent a sunny morning in the fall with my friend Pearl Doupe, and as we cooked her mother’s pumpkin pie together, we talked about growing up on a farm near Ponoka, baking-days with her mother and grandmother and Christmas on the farm.

Pie-making took place in the fall during harvest time. When the men were out in the fields, the women would get together and make dozens of pies for the freezer: apple, peach, rhubarb and strawberry, sour cream and raisin, pumpkin, blueberry, chokecherry and Saskatoon berry.

Christmas on the farm was a highly anticipated event with food at the centre of the Festivities. Preparations began weeks before, making Christmas cakes and cookies, shortbread, fudge and toffee. The week of feasting began on Christmas Eve at Grandma’s house, with turkey and ham from the Ferrybank Hutterite colony, corn, mashed potatoes, vegetables, cranberry sauce and gravy. Dessert was the apple and pumpkin pies made in the fall alongside scoops of ice cream from the creamery in town.

As we cooked from Pearl’s mother’s pumpkin pie recipe card, stained and food-spattered from years of use, we reflected on the history that the recipe represented, not just for Pearl and her family, but also the history of the women settlers of Alberta, their joys and hardships as they made a life for their families, using the work of their hands and the produce of the land.

Crust

For a 9 " deep pie crust, if your pie tin is shallow, halve the filling ingredients.

500 ml (2 cups) all purpose flour

1 ml (¼ tsp) salt

30 ml (2 Tbsp) sugar

65 ml (¼ cup) lard or shortening

120 ml (8 Tbsp) halfand-half cream or water Preheat the oven to 200 C (375 F)

Sieve the flour, salt and sugar into a large bowl and add the lard or shortening, cut into small pieces.

Rub the fat into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs, then mix in 100 ml of the halfand-half or water, adding the rest if your dough is dry.

Pat into a round, wrap in plastic film wrap and chill for half an hour.

Roll the pastry into a circle, large enough to line a deep pie tin.

Cut off the excess pastry, prick the base of the pie crust with a fork and chill for another half an hour.

Line the empty pie crust with aluminium foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights (dry beans or rice work well.)

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and cook for another 10 minutes or until the pastry is cooked through and golden brown. Meanwhile make the pie filling.

Combine the sugar, spices and salt in a large bowl and stir in the pumpkin puree and eggs.

Reduce the oven to 175 C (350 F) and pour the mixture into the cooked pie crust.

Bake for an hour and then turn the oven off without opening the door and leave for another hour.

HISTORY VIA THE

HISTORY

By CAMIE LEARD

Once upon a time, turkeys were free to live their lives in peace around the holidays. In days of yore, most Christmas tables were centred on a roasted goose. The reason was practical: cows gave milk and chickens gave eggs, making them far too valuable to eat. Geese, however, were slackers on the production line. Turns out, laying eggs only seasonally gives you a one-way ticket to the roasting pan.

Speaking of roast goose, the origin of the phrase “one's goose is cooked” may originate with the fable about the golden goose, whose eggs were far more valuable than the potential progeny of the Christmas goose. The tale has numerous variations, but here’s the gist: a farmer discovered his goose laid golden eggs. You might remember from before, that geese only lay eggs seasonally. But the farmer had purchased a new combine that year, Monsanto was really causing him grief and he needed cash fast. Not able to wait until spring, the farmer killed the goose in hopes of finding a large stash of gold, or perhaps a gold-making gall bladder he could tap when needed. Alas, it was not to be: the goose’s entrails were standard issue and all the bird was good for now was dinner. The farmer’s goose was cooked.

On the plus side, in the act of fattening up the goose (in hopes of more gold, obviously) the farmer discovered foie gras, which at nearly $50 per kilogram

was almost as good as gold – as long as shipping routes to American markets were open.

But at the time, a black-plague-related disruption in international logistics meant the farmer was stuck with his stash. His family gorged on goose liver and became rotund, demanding and rather spoiled around the holidays. This led to the adoption of the turkey as the preferred festive fowl. Bigger than a goose, the turkey could feed the fois-gras-fattened family, tasted great with cranberry sauce and didn’t start laying eggs until the age of seven months… which was precisely the time they reached peak deliciousness… so why bother?

And so, in a poetic case of what goes around comes around, the goose was freed from the Christmas kitchen table for the same reason it was put there in the first place: which we’ve by now forgotten, but had something to do with eggs.

The moral of the story: lay eggs as often as you can. Or don’t kill a golden goose. Or maybe, buy foie gras stocks.

Escape to the Farm

PaSu Farm is a country oasis that offers an air of elegant simplicity and nourishes the soul. Find warmth in the Gallery Shop and take in magnificent mountain views from our restaurant. Our customers enjoy a peacefulness that comforts and calms their spirits.

Yes, we are open over the holiday period. You’ll find a full range of warm and seasonal clothing and great gift ideas.

On weekends in December, we’ve got hot cider and cookies –so escape the city and relax.