I love to cook.... lately it's been all about my French Canadian background

[MissMillie]

Last night I made 2 Canadian pork pies (tourtiere)--one for the kids and one for my godmother's family (she passed away on Saturday).

This recipe

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1626,152175-242192,00.html

comes pretty close to what I make... I also add finely chopped celery and finely chopped mushrooms.

This morning I put a homemade split yellow pea and ham soup on the stove top. My kitchen smells amazing.

I really need to find a way to get paid for doing this. There is little else I enjoy more than having someone enjoy the food that I create.

[siligut]

1. Food like this makes me wish I weren't vegetarian.

But I love homemade split pea soup, even without the ham.:9

[auntAgonist]

3. maybe a dumb question here

but instead of ham bones do you or can you use an OXO cube or flavour granules as a substitute? I don't know what's in them :)

aA

[siligut]

5. I use vegetable cubes.

They work well when any meaty flavor is wanted. How did your interview go?

[auntAgonist]

9. the interview went well I think.

I was pretty nervous leading up to it but once I got started I was ok. The interviewer was quite easy to talk to. I think she was a bit nervous too!! I don't think she's done many.

She says she'll put in a good word for me with the hiring manager and thinks I'd be a 'good fit' whatever that's worth.

Thanks for thinking of me.

:hug:

aA
kesha

[crim son]

13. There's ham-f*avored tvp

that give the right f*avor. Just FYI.

[siligut]

14. Thank you, have never seen that. nt

[MissMillie]

4. I can't imagine pea soup w/o the smoky ham flavor

Would one use a touch liquid smoke to get that effect, do you think?

[siligut]

7. Have you tried liquid smoke flavoring ?

We tried the smoke flavoring and found it unpalatable. I just like the soup with a Knorr vegetable cube, it works for us. Mmmmm, pea soup and a piece of rye toast. :9 If it weren't going to be warm today, I would consider making some now too.

[MissMillie]

10. I have some in my cabinet, and I have used it sparingly

in other recipes (I can't remember which ones). It wasn't bad.

Rye toast and a slice of tomato.... you're talking my language.

[auntAgonist]

2. So sorry to hear of your GodMother's passing

:hug:



I LOVE tourtiere!

You know, I have a horrible time trying to find yellow split peas around here. Green split, no problem.
When I visit family in Ontario I end up bringing back a few lbs. I always save my ham bones!
My husband doesn't care for soup but really enjoys the yellow split pea.

You should open up a small truckstop, limited hours, open just for breakfast and dinner. There's one here that opens at 6am and closes at 2pm. There are always line-ups at lunch time.

:hi:
aA

[MissMillie]

6. thank you for your condolences

She had bile duct cancer, and had been suffering quite a bit in recent months. I am happy that she is no longer in pain.

What worries me most is that since she became ill, her husband (who has been sick for a very long time with diabetes and back problems, among other ailments) has taken a severe turn for the worse. I imagine he will follow her very shortly.

I thought of the truck stop thing. Getting up to have breakfast ready for others at 6:00 am is not my idea of fun, but it's not out of the realm of possibility.

Do you eat your tourtiere plain? I know some people like it w/ ketchup, but I prefer a brown gravy.

[auntAgonist]

8. HP Sauce!

I hope your godmother's husband doesn't suffer :(

I love HP sauce on my tourtiere. Lea & Perrins makes a great substitute for HP Sauce, it's thick, thicker than that nasty A1 stuff. I'm not much of a ketchup eater at all.

[TK421]

11. I'm bookmarking this since I think I have all of those ingredients

minus the ground pork :) sounds yummy, thanks for posting!

[MissMillie]

12. It always makes me think of my grandmother

who was legally (though not totally) blind. My aunt and uncle lived w/ in her last years, and would not let her cook unless they were with her. She could make this just from memory, and using her hands to measure things... and it was amazing.

My mother makes it every Christmas eve.