Mosaic Potluck

by Kathy Humphrey

Elementary school children across the country learn to think of Canada as a mosaic, a patchwork population made up of people from all over the world, combined with the people who were here before. Communities made up of people with different countries of origin give all of us access to the language, culture and histories of the whole world. Food is one of the universal languages—a casserole dish, offered along with a welcoming smile, can go a long way towards bridging any gaps left by lack of spoken language. New Canadians, feeling somewhat sad and homesick for family and friends far back in their homeland, may have been surprised to find that it’s a small world in a culinary fashion, too. Germany’s Duesserdorter (Potato Mushrooms) are similar to Ireland’s Colcannan, while Kartoffelknoedel is potato pasta, Italian gnocchi with a different pedigree. It makes sense: countries with shorter growing seasons develop cuisines based on crops that flourish for them, and keep for long periods of time, such as potatoes, cabbage, beets and turnips. Many African countries incorporate spice and curries into their traditional dishes, which gives them a commonality with recipes from all parts of Asia. British Columbia’s name tells us all of the early influx of settlers from Great Britain, but we would be missing out on a whole world of taste if we dined only on Toad-in-the-Hole and Bubble-and-Squeak. Host a dinner, invite guests to bring favourite foods from their family’s archives, and enjoy the diversity that gives Canada its strength.

Curry Bites (South Africa)

1 cup cooked rice
1/2 cup milk
2 extra large eggs
2/3 cup self-raising flour
1 1/2 tsp mild/medium curry powder
1 large potato, peeled and grated
1 1/4 cups onion, finely grated
1 cup cooked chicken, diced
1/2 cup whole-kernel sweet corn, drained
1 Tbsp parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper
oil for frying
yogurt for dipping, if desired

Process the rice, milk, eggs, self-raising flour and curry powder in a food processor for 1 minute. Chill the batter. Place the potato and onion in a mixing bowl; add enough boiling water to cover. Leave for 3 minutes; drain well. Pat dry with paper towels. Add the potato, onion, chicken, sweet corn and parsley to the batter. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat the oil in a pan and fry spoonfuls of the batter for about 4 minutes on each side until golden brown and done. Drain on paper towels and keep warm until ready to serve. Makes 25-30 bites.

Singin’ Hinnies (Great Britain)

1 1/4 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup currants
1/3 to 1/2 cup milk
oil, for frying

In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in currants. Add just enough milk, a little at a time, to make a firm dough (similar in texture to pie crust). Roll out onto a well-floured surface to 1/4" thickness. Cut into rounds (about 2 1/2" in diameter). Coat the bottom of a heavy frying pan with oil. On low heat, fry cakes for four or five minutes on each side until nicely browned. Serve piping hot with butter and jam.

Colcannon (Ireland)

3 lbs potatoes, scrubbed
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cups hot milk
1 head green cabbage, cored and finely shredded
1 lb bacon, cooked and cooled (can substitute piece of cooked ham, if desired)
4 green onions, finely chopped
freshly ground black pepper
finely chopped parsley for garnish

Steam potatoes in their skins for 30 minutes. Peel (using knife and fork against the heat). Chop into chunks with knife; mash thoroughly to remove all lumps. Add 1/4 cup butter, in pieces. Gradually add hot milk, stirring all the time. Season with a bit of black pepper. Boil cabbage in unsalted water until it turns a darker colour. Add 2 Tbsp butter to tenderize it. Cover with lid for 2 minutes. Drain thoroughly; return to pan. Chop into small pieces. Chop bacon. Add cabbage, green onions and bacon to mashed potatoes, stirring them in gently. Serve in individual bowls: make indentation on top of each with wooden spoon, put 1 Tbsp butter into each indentation, sprinkle with parsley.

Red Beet Salad (Germany)

1 lb red beets
1/2 tsp sugar
4 Tbsp each water and vinegar
2 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp dried cloves
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
3-4 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Scrub beets, cook in salted boiling water until tender. Dip in cold water to loosen skins; peel and slice thinly. Thoroughly combine remaining ingredients. Pour over beets; marinate for several hours. Before serving, remove bay leaf and drain any excess liquid.

Kathy Humphrey lives in Victoria with her husband and two children. She tries to see cooking for a family not as a chore but as a creative outlet.