Foreign foods which of course would not later be seen as foreign
foods were not too common some decades ago in Canada.
The sequence of these came slowly at first.
European delicatessens abounded in
Montreal, and real cheese cake interested me as a special treat. Real cheesecake to me was what I saw in these Jewish
bakeries, it stood in gelatin firmness, high and circular, with a light toasting upon it. It did not come in a pan or
tray, with blueberries and crusts. I loved this cake. These places had rose hip jams, and dill pickles, and my loved dark
brown pumpernickel bread.
Our first family introduction to exotic restaurants were Chinese restaurants,
which often served a repeating menu - spring rolls, chow mein, chop suey, spare ribs, pineapple chicken, and fortune cookies. Every
few weeks, on Sunday nights, we drove to Dorval to a popular local place.
When we travelled to other countries,
we ate the special type of food in that country. I disliked German food in Switzerland, but there was no dog to feed it to.
I did note the delicious cakes, and dark chocolate bars in Zurich.
I was not a fussy eater, more of a
minimalist eater, wanting to avoid some foods, my taste buds ruined by too much sugar back in Canada. I
liked the fried banana desserts in Barbados, and learned the British were at least able to bombard you with their equivalent
of the Bobcaygeon Penny Candy Store.
Later I would love sesame tahini, garlic, naan, feta cheese, Greek salads,
lychees, pierogis, dumplings, but in Canada, my first recipes were straight off the backs of American brand name food boxes;
Aunt Jemima pancakes, Chef Boyardee cheese pizzas, Rice Crispy marshmallow squares.
All washed down with a large mug of
Nescafe instant coffee.
