Chez Ashtons, the birthplace of poutine

There will always be alternative views, but Chez Ashtons is believed to be the inventor of poutine. There’s been many claims in the past, but at the end of the day it doesn’t really matter to me. I’m just happy Quebec shared this dish with the rest of Canada. If you speak with the locals and let them know you’re going to Chez Ashtons, you’ll either get a big smile and a thumbs up, or a clicking tongue with frowning shaking face. Perhaps it’s because of the Fast Food nature of Chez Ashtons. Many people feel a cultural dish as incredible as poutine shouldn’t be served in under 5 minutes. I clearly don’t share that philosophy.

I had just left some post Crashed Ice celebrations, which included partaking in a couple St Patricks Day beverages with my younger sister. All that partying and excitement worked up a serious hunger. It was time. We made the trip down Rue Saint-Jean, stumbling past groups of drunk french speaking teenagers and adults. We stayed on course, “This is no time to socialize!”. We came upon Chez Ashtons and B-lined it into line.

Deux très grand Poutine s’il vous plait

I ordered in my best french, which unfortunately after a few drinks, is also considered my worst. The lovely girl behind the counter laughed and deciphered whatever it is I said to her. A couple minutes later we were presented with two large dishes of original poutine. Nothing fancy, no extras, no pieces of sausages or splashes of weird sauces. Just a straight up traditional Quebecois poutine.

I observed this poutine. Crisp fresh cut fries, ooey gooey gravy, and cheese curds the size of human digits. It was beautiful! A drunk man can only observe food like that for so long. My fork quickly made contact with the dish, and crushing ensued. The fries retained their strength, which is to say they didn’t become a soggy mess. The curds were thoroughly spread throughout the fries, ensuring I didn’t eat all of them before getting to the bottom. It was the perfect Poutine. Simple, elegant, and crafted with years of experience. I high fived my sister and laughed, “Wow, that was crazy good! Quebec does poutine right!”.

 Have you ever enjoyed a Chez Ashtons poutine? Ever come across a poutine that’s better? Comment below or toss me a tweet @ibackpackcanada!

The Best Poutine I’ve Ever Had – Chez Ashton’s in Quebec City is a post from: I Backpack Canada

Tire D’érable, Maple Toffee on a Stick

That was the first time I had ever heard of “Tire D’érable“, or Maple Toffee for us english speaking Canadians. Our french teacher intern took our classroom outside in the winter. We were taught that in the old days these types of treats were incredibly popular with children, not only because they tasted amazing, but because they were also fun to make.

We watched as she boiled Quebecois maple syrup to a liquid state. The smell of melting maple syrup filled the entire schoolyard. Aunt Jemima would be proud. Once it was ready, she happily handed out popsicle sticks and instructed to find some clean snow. She proceeded to poor this hot liquid in a small straight line and told us to wait a second before rolling our sticks through the amber trail.

Mmm, “Maple-ee”

As the liquid solidified around the stick, a Maple Syrup “sucker” was born. Forged from heat, snow, and tree guts. We were blown away. Needless to say some kids ended up with more of it on their face than in their mouths. Regardless, we were hooked! French culture was officially awesome from that day on. Unfortunately that was the last time had Home-made Maple Toffee until my recent visit to Quebec City.

Sold on the Streets of Old Quebec

Located on the streets of Old Quebec, little stands were selling these maple syrup treats. A plywood box held a patch of clean snow. I watched as a young man splashed the snow with a gracious amount of liquified maple syrup. A customer waited for it to cool, her smile growing as she saw it was ready. She rolled the wooden stick slowly and confidently through the hardening toffee. This clearly wasn’t her first rodeo.

I promptly jumped in line with my sister and a couple friends, and for about $2.00 I was treated to my favourite Canadian candy. Still sticky, still gooey, still incredibly tasty! I spoke to my friends as I watched them devour theirs. One of the guys I was with was going to town on his. He smiled and began to loudly declaring “Why aren’t these everywhere!?!“. I believe he liked them.

Have you ever had Maple Toffee/Maple Taffy/Tire D’érable?

T’ire D’érable – Why aren’t you everywhere? is a post from: I Backpack Canada

Any Canadian roadtrip that includes 5 guys, a large truck, and winter gear is typically accompanied by beer. Lots of it. Due to our strong cultural ties with Canada we felt it was necessary to abide by this “tradition”. Needless to say the first stop in New Brunswick was the NB Alcool where we filled any remaining space in the truck with beer, gin, and my favourite road trip bubbly, Baby Duck Sparkling Wine; the epitomy of refinement.

Our first night was spent in the Ramada on the North Side of Fredericton. The north side of Fredericton is known primarily for its view of the south side, the “apparent” cooler side of Fredericton, which is also home to the downtown core. We took in the view, remarked on its similarities between Halifax and Charlottetown, and then promptly got acquainted with our new carbonated friends.

The Journey to Crabbe Mountain, New Brunswick

The drive to Crabbe Mountain from Fredericton takes approximately 30 minutes, a whopping 40 minutes less than any GPS will tell you. Either satellites are stupid or we were slightly speeding, but I have a sneaking suspicion it was the latter. It’s been my experience that most ski & snowboard trips are accompanied by nausea inducing hangovers. I’d love to tell you about the drive up to Crabbe Mountain, but being true to tradition, I was more concentrated on not ruining the inside of my friends truck than what was going on outside of it. All I can say is there were trees, and snow.

Breathe it in boys!

We made it to the mountain in one piece and breathed in the cool New Brunswick air. Blue skies surrounded us and the weather was perfect for a day on the slopes. My snowboard gear is still calling Saskatchewan home, so I was forced to rent. Thankfully the folks at Crabbe Mountain kept things moving fast, and I was fully outfitted with board, boots, and bindings in under 5-10 minutes ($30 full day rental). The rest of the guys happily donated extra winter apparel to keep me from freezing “mes fesses” off. For those who weren’t aware, New Brunswick is a bilingual province, so including French out of the blue is kind of the norm, and also fun.

Crabbe Mountain Chairlift

For the next 8 hours, the five of us hosers enjoyed the Crabbe Mountain slopes. The liftees were friendly, the chairlift speed was fast, and we couldn’t have picked a better weekend. There had been a recent snowfall before our arrival which meant we had some great snow and freshly groomed trails greeting as at every bend. During the entire two day ski & snowboard trip I didn’t see a single snow machine at work.

The Terrain Parks

The terrain parks had some technical boxes, tables, and rails along with the death-inducing jumps one would expect to find in a terrain park. Having not been on a snowboard in a couple years, and because I’m one of those “too cool to wear helmet” types, I stuck to simple boxes, wimpy jumps, and the occasional run through the glades. That is whenever I could sneak by without being caught, apparently out east it’s the norm to not let people into the terrain parks without helmets. Regardless, I vowed to myself to make it back in one piece. Thankfully my hangovers kept me from doing anything I would have regretted… and they say alcohol is bad for you? Ha!

Who’s ready for Lunch!?

A friend of mine who’s been living in Fredericton set my hopes up high for lunchtime at Crabbe Mountain. He was going on and on about their poutine and how supposedly incredible it was. A smile grew across my face and shiny cheese curd shaped stars shone in my eyes at the thought of a gravy infused New Brunswick Apres-Ski. He went on to tell me it was a french-canadian poutine so awesome it would melt your face off at the sight of it. Gravy filled every crevice, and fries so perfect people would have plastic fork fights in the lunch area just to get a taste. My mouth oozed in the best possible way. It was scary.

Lunch-time rolled around on Day 1 and my hangover was reaching that “feed me or I’ll punch you out” stage. I’m not one to argue with my hangovers. I kind of let them captain the ship and just roll with whatever they need. As I recalled what I heard about the poutine my heart fluttered. My hangovers tight grip on my intestines eased. I was about to be fed a miracle.

Then I overheard the worst possible convorsation a hungover snowboarder could hear. The customer in front of me asked,

“Does your poutine use cheese curds or grated cheese?”.

A silence spread within the line as clearly this customer and I weren’t the only ones curious.

“Grated cheddar”replied the lady behind the counter.

The line erupted in a sobbing chorus, “Ohwwwwwww…”. Then I saw the fries.I did not want to engage in all out plastic-fork warfare with anybody. They looked like store bought shoestring fries…yawn. My soul died after that. I no longer wanted to eat. I no longer wanted to snowboard. I wanted to cry, and hurt, and rage against the machine, and inflict pain upon my lying friend. I imagined myself yelling at the cook, then my friend…

“CHEDDAR?! Grated cheddar!? Are you out of your mind!? There are strict rules in the poutine recipe, and nowhere does it say grated cheddar!!!! And really…shoestring fries!? Common!!!”

Breathe Corbin, it’s just Poutine

I breathed in deeply, using all of my will to settle down and just be happy with where I was. Good snow, good times, good friends. Then my hangover began punching me. It was time to feed the monster, poutine or not. I ordered a burger. Crushed it. I don’t remember it. The whole time I was eating the “silver prize” I was picturing myself devouring a Miracle Poutine. It was the saddest moment of the trip, but kind of funny none the less. I don’t like insulting people or businesses for no reason, but Crabbe Mountain, if you ever read this…please for the love of Gretzy, fix this poutine faux-pas.

Regardless, I plan on coming back to snowboard again

The skiing and snowboarding continued for hours, and needless to say by the end of Day 2 my body was turning on me. Muscles ached, bruises formed, and being in “Guys Night Out” mode for 3 evenings was beginning to beat the crap out of me. The fresh air was clean. The weather was great. Blue skies greeted us each morning, and the slopes were surprisingly long despite not being in the Rockies. Crabbe Mountain, you are A-OK by me! I would even go so far as using the ‘L’ word if you work on that poutine of yours. All in all, Crabbe Mountain is definitely worth a stop if you’re the snowboarding/skiing type hanging out in Atlantic Canada. Just whatever you do, ask before you order the poutine.

Visit the Crabbe Mountain Website for more information. If you plan on doing any of you’re own skiing be sure to keep an eye out on some of these great cheap ski holidays.

More Photos from Crabbe Mountain

Snowboarding in New Brunswick at Crabbe Mountain is a post from: I Backpack Canada

While I’ve gotten my own poutine recipe down; it’ll never beat true Quebecois poutine & their many variations. So today, join me in watching this hunger-inducing video.

[ Video by WatchMojo ]

Sunday Canadian Travel Video – French Poutine is Awesome! is a post from: I Backpack Canada

I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to introduce some Saskatchewan food to my fellow friend Andy, hailing from PEI / Halifax. While his decision to visit Saskatchewan was primarily based around checking out Saskatchewans booming economy, he wasn’t opposed to the idea of trying some local food. Its pretty rare that I ever get the chance to show anybody from the East Coast what Saskatchewan is all about, so I didn’t want to screw this up. In light of this weight on my shoulders, I recruited my family to help bring out the big guns.

The Ukrainian Feast, care of Peg’s Kitchen

One of the most dominant cultures to settle the Saskatchewan area were the Ukrainians. These people who came over to the prairies were good at three things, Farming, Cooking, and Makin’ Babies. Which is why there is still such a huge population of Ukrainian descendants, and even whole towns who still speak the Old Language. Their tenacity to farm, cook, and breed are one of the main reasons Saskatchewan has informally claimed the Cabbage Roll, the Perogie, and the Home-made sausage as their own.

Rather than going to the nearest grocery store and picking up a bunch of boring frozen factory made Ukrainian Food, the Fraser Family pulled all the stops and talked to Peg’s Kitchen. For those who don’t know, Peg is the Queen of Ukrainian food in Southern Saskatchewan. Stop by her kitchen in Regina for some of the best home-made everything! We went with the classic Ukrainian Lunch. Cabbage Rolls, Pierogis, Sausages, Buns, and to wash it all down, a dozen bottles of Pilsner. I think it goes without saying that the meal was amazing, but it wasn’t over until we brought out the secret weapon. Saskatoon Berry Pie, topped with Cool Whip, and a spoonful of organic Saskatoon berry topping. Yes, you heard right. Double Dose of Saskatoon Berries! Despite how full everyone was feeling, everyone crushed some pie. For those who don’t know, this delightful berry is unique to the region, and is like nothing I know of. I describe it as amazing, just be sure to give it a shot next time you’re in the prairies!

Grandmas Hamburger soup

If you’ve managed to digest everything from a Ukrainian meal, congratulations, you’re almost a certified Saskatchewanite. But your test isn’t over. There is much to eat. For instance, Grandma’s homemade Hamburger Soup. While the recipe varies throughout the province, Hamburger Soup has become a staple meal in our family, and many others as the go-to-heart-warming, comforting winter food. Dip a fresh bun/roll, biscuit, or crush some crackers in there and your looking in the eye of one of the heartiest soups this side the Great Lakes. Big love & mentions need to go out to my Grandma for being so awesome and cooking for the whole gang!

The Deep Dish Pizza

The next meal is a bit of an anomaly, and I wish I knew more about why this meal is so popular in Saskatchewan. The deep dish pizza. They’re everywhere out west, especially in Regina. Verns, Houston Pizza, Western Pizza, and Trifons, they all compete to have the thickest most meatiest pizza in town. Deep dish has an all new meaning in Saskatchewan! If your pizza is less than 7 peperoni slices thick, it’s not even in the same race. Gooey, cheesy, thick, greasy, this is a clogged artery waiting to happen. Words can’t even describe how insane this thing is, and I mean that in a good way. We made a stop at the Argyle Houston Pizza and were greeted by the friendliest owner who even bought our group shots. +30 points for him & his business in my books. [Hint: Great Western Pilsner goes down great with this type pie]

Hungry for more? Well perfect, because I plan on a part 2 of this post next time I’m back in the prairies (summer-ish). We haven’t even gotta into Deer Sausage/Jerky, Bannick, or even stopped by Nicky’s Cafe! This was a good start for now. If you’re from Saskatchewan & have something you think I should try, please leave a comment! I love food, and am more than happy to go out of the way to eat something new.

My Guide to Food in Saskatchewan is a post from: I Backpack Canada

Explosions at Citadel Hill

I woke up with 7 minutes to make it 6 blocks to Citadel Hill for the 21 gun salute. Yes, I slept in til 11:53am, do I regret it? Not a chance. I threw on a semi-clean Tee and commenced running with perfect form. Some might say I looked like a gazelle as I passed families covered in temp tattoos of maple leafs, with red shirts, red hats, and Canadian flags hanging from any nook and cranny they could find. I made it there with less than a minute to spare. The canons exploded violently, shaking the everything and everyone near. As the 21st shot went off, the crowd lining Citadel Hill cheered.

Big ships on the Boardwalk

I walked back to my apartment leisurely, high fiving families and drunks decked out in red & white. It was already 12:15pm, I had to catch up to these animals. That wasn’t hard. After consuming a fair amount of drinks with my friend slash roommate, we decided to check out what was going on down at the boardwalk. Rumour had it that there were still a bunch of Navy ships kicking around from the Queens recent visit. The ships still in harbour during Fleet Week were awesome. Coming from SK, where the biggest boat you can hop on is your cousin Jeds 12 foot tin can fishing boat, these ships blew me away.

The Battered Fish

After checking out some of the ships the smell of salty and savory food was luring us in. The boardwalk is notorious for amazing little food stands, as well as some of its more high end restaurants. We chose the food stands. The Battered Fish was pretty lined up, but the sign above where they were taking orders greeted us with warm words, such as Poutine, and Fish ‘n Chips, and other sexy words, like “side of Gravy”, and “Made with real cheese curds“. The food was in our hands in minutes, and in our guts in seconds. Why does everything taste so much better when you’ve got a good buzz on?

A Quick Nap

I ended up walking up to Citadel Hill again to see what was going on. Which as it turned out at that moment, wasn’t much. I starfished on the grass, enjoying the bright blue sky we were given on this fantastic day. Next thing I know I wake up to the sun setting. Must have passed out there for a minute. Classic whiskey.

Wake up for round 2

Justin and I made it back to our apartment for some coffee, followed by more drinks. That quick passout kicked our butt, so getting back into the swing of things the second time around was tough. However thanks to the invention of the shotglass, we were properly intoxicated in a short time. We ran down to the harbour and barely caught the fireworks. We oo’d and ah’d for a couple of the big ones, then began planning our night.

Initially we had planned on catching the ferry to Dartmouth to catch Joel Plaskett, but those plans never panned out unfortunately. Instead we ended up bar hopping for most of the night. We met some cool people, high fived a few thousand hands, and listened to some live bands at various drinking establishments. All in all, good Canada Day. Bad hangover, but good Canada Day.

2010 Canada Day in Halifax, Nova Scotia is a post from: I Backpack Canada

Bush Pie

Bush Pie may not sound like the most delicious type of food you would want to be scarfing on in front of a fire, but you couldn’t be more wrong. Hands down, Bush Pie is one of the most crucial pieces of food to make any camping trip a success. With its crisp outside and the insane amount of things you can put in them, they’re like the gift that keeps on giving.

What is a bush pie? It’s basically bread, and filling of your choice, stuffed inside a cast-iron bush pie maker, and cooked over the fire until delicification has reached maximum. Allow me to elaborate:

What you’ll need

• A Cast iron bush pie maker – Found at any Canadian Tire or Outdoor and Camping Supply Store
• A loaf of bread (because 2 slices will barely cut it for one person)
• Butter or Margarine
• Bush Pie Filling – This can include Cinnamon Spread, Nutella, Pie Filling, Chocolate, Marshmallows, Nuts, Meat, Chili, Cheese, Vegetables, the choices are endless

How to make bush pie

• Spread a good amount of butter or margarine on 2 slices of bread
• Place the bread in bush pie maker, buttered side down (think grilled cheese effect)
• Place a couple tablespoons of filling on top of one side of the bread
• Close bush pie maker which should push 2 slices of bread together with the filling on the inside
• Place over fire or in the coals until finished
• Open Cast-iron bush pie maker and devour

Note: Keep a close eye on it while it cooks, doesn’t take long to burn

Marshmallows

Marshmallows have become part of a staple diet of campers for decades, so it should only make sense that this fun and fluffy food should be included in this list. Roasting Marshmallows has become an art form over the years. Some choosing to abandon all rules and burn their white fluffs of magic into a charred piece of ash, others choose the gentle but affective roasting technique which results in crispy caramelized marshmallows.

Quick fact – North Americans eat about 90,000,000 pounds of marshmallows per year.

Marshmallows basically consist of Sugar, Water, Corn Syrup, and Gelatin. Just a heads up for all you vegetable-liking vegetarians, most brands will be off-limits for you, on account of the Gelatin, which as you may or may not know is made of animal hides and bones. I’ll be the last to judge you if you do decide to cheat though. Who can blame you. Marshmallows fricken’ rock!

Wieners

One of the most commonly misspelled words in the English language is also one of the most popular foods to bring on a camping trip. The science behind a good wiener is pretty sound.

• Jam wiener onto a sharp pointy stick.
• Ensure it’s on there good, the last thing you want to do is drop your wiener in the fire.
• Keep a good distance between the flame and your wiener, the last thing you want to do is burn that sucker.
• Slowly rotate your wiener to ensure an evenly cooked piece of meat.
• Place wiener in a bun or in your mouth.
• If you’re feeling extra crazy, use ketchup, mustard, and relish to make your boring wiener into a gourmet wiener.
• Enjoy.

Beans

Cheap, flavourful, and extremely easy to cook over the fire, a can of beans can go a long way when your camping. Tasty any time of day, and with several flavours to choose from, you shouldn’t get bored of them all that quick. I personally suggest having at least two different types of beans. A morning can of beans, and an evening can of beans. The most logical type of morning beans you can eat, would be the famous Quebecois Beans, which are essentially a normal can of beans, however instead of the regular tomato sauce, you’re treated with delicious maple syrup! Then come evening time, when you’re gut is telling you “It’s bean time!“, you open up that other can of beans, which will be the classic, yet tasty, Beans in Tomatoe Sauce. Remember to bring a utensil though. Do NOT drink the can of beans if the can just came out of the fire. You will burn your lips. Trust me.

S’Mores

S’mores take some serious work, so be prepared. However the hard work, sticky fingers and sticky clothes will all be worth it for the 2 minutes of enjoying one of the best campfire foods out there. These take a few more ingredients, so be sure to hit up the grocery store on your way out of town.

What you’ll need:

• 1 box of Graham Crackers
• A bag of marshmallows
• Some chocolate (The flat, hershey type of chocolate works best)

Directions:

• Roast marshmallow to perfection
• Place piece of chocolate on top of one Graham Crack
• Place gooey marshmallow on top of chocolate-cracker-combo
• Sandwich the other Graham cracker on top
• Enjoy

Shish kebabs

Shish Kebabs aren’t on everybodies list of camping foods, but if you’ve got the time, money, and patience, you can whip up an unforgettable meal that your friends or family will talk about for weeks to come.

What you’ll need:

• Skewers
• Cuts of meat – Steak, Chicken, Pork, Lamb
• Semi-crisp vegetables – Peppers (ie Capsicum), Onions, Mushrooms, Tomatoes, Cucumbers
• Some salad dressing

Directions

• Soak skewers overnight in water with a dash of salt
• Soak vegetables in a bowl of salad dressing
• Stab meat and vegetables onto skewers
• Separate some hot coals from the fire into a corner of the fire pit
• Place two large sturdy stones close together
• Place shish kebabs over the gap created by the stones
• Spin occasional to ensure even cooking

Note: Ensure you’re meat is fully cooked before serving

Beers

Chances are you’re going to get the thirst by the time your tent is set up. It’s futile to fight this sensation. I’m not sure exactly why the smell of the outdoors and campfires makes people crave booze. It just does. Fighting this feeling will only result in overindulging in food, which in turn could lead to the same bodily function caused by alcohol, vomiting. So grab a case or two for the weekend, find a cooler, cold lake, river, or stream (to keep your beer cold), and kick back – relax. Enjoy the sights, smells, and tastes.

Note: Be careful when it comes to drinking around campfires. They have a horrible tendency to burn whatever they touch. And as tempting as it is, avoid performing the ‘Superman’ over the bonfire if possible.

My friend Rob, after too many drinks and a superman attempt.

Top 7 Must-Have Foods for Camping Trips is a post from: I Backpack Canada

Gotta be KD

Kraft Dinner has been a part of Canadian culture since the late 60′s, it’s found it’s way into just about every Canadians pantry at some point or another. It literally has become the King of all mac ‘n cheeses, and for you to dispute that is seen as treason in Canada, so tread lightly. The closest thing I can relate it to for somebody not from Canada, is that KD is to Canadians what Vegemite is to Australians. We’re all hooked to say the least.

On April 1, 2010, Kraft Dinner began its search for the “Official KD Canadian Correspondent”. As the KD Canadian Correspondent, you win:

Enter here

All this talk of the oh-so delicious KD might have you wondering now…“I wonder how Corbin eats his KD?” Well I’m going to leave that to another post, as it might explode your brains.

Win a 16 Day trip across Canada with KD! is a post from: I Backpack Canada