What inspired you to write your book?
As I describe in my introduction, although I am not a native of Canada, I lived there for a year and fell in love — with a guy as well as poutine! In fact, it was the guy who introduced me to this wonderful Canadian dish, and then joined me as I explored the many ways it can be made.
About your Book:
Gooey, cheesy, and dripping with gravy: That’s poutine, the French fries-based guilty pleasure that escaped its Canadian homeland to become a favorite snack and party food of people everywhere. This book takes poutine in some amazing new directions while staying true to its basic simplicity and ease-of-making.
Recipes range from the traditional, like you would find in diners and restaurants across Canada, to exotic new versions for poutine fanatics who like to push boundaries (think Mexican, Indian, or down-home southern!). For the health minded there are recipes for substituting sweet potatoes or vegetables for regular French fries, and recipes for delicious vegetarian gravy.
Along with the recipes, the book provides sources for the “squeaky” cheese that is a signature of the most authentic poutine, while showing how the dish can be just as satisfying using more readily available cheese varieties from the supermarket.
If you’ve never tried poutine, you’re in for a treat. If you’re already hooked, this book will fire your imagination with the creative possibilities of this deceptively simple gift from the land of the maple leaf.
Cuisine Style or Food Genre
Snack food; guilty pleasures
Sample Recipe or Food Advice
Summery Mexican Poutine
The avocado and other fresh ingredients in this recipe make me think of summer. The tomatillos and jalapeño pepper make me think Mexican. I’m thinking this would be another great one for a patio party when the weather turns warm. Because the salsa takes a bit of work, let’s save some time by using frozen French fries, shall we?
Preparation + cooking time
45 to 55 minutes
Ingredients
Frozen French fries
5 to 7 tomatillos
1 ripe avocado
Red or yellow onion
1 lime
2 cloves garlic
1 small jalapeño pepper
¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
Instructions
Prepare frozen French fries according to package directions, and set aside.
Heat oven to 400 degrees F (235 C)
Remove husks from the tomatillos. The de-husked tomatillos will be sticky, so rinse them well under running water. Cut tomatillos in half and place them on a roasting pan. Roast for 15 to 25 minutes, and remove pan from oven.
Peel avocado and remove pit. Cut avocado in half. Set one half aside.
Split jalapeño pepper lengthwise with a knife and carefully remove all seeds.
Chop enough onion to make ½ cup’s worth. Set aside ¼ cup of the chopped onion.
Place in a blender: Tomatillos, avocado half, ¼ cup chopped onion, juice of 1 lime, garlic, jalapeño pepper, cilantro,
salt, black pepper. Blend for 30 seconds on high, or until smooth.
Place the cooked French fries in a glass baking pan. Sprinkle Mexican cheese over them. Place the pan in a 400-degree F (235 C) oven for 5 or 6 minutes to melt the cheese.
Remove fries from oven. Cover with the remaining ¼ cup chopped onion. Cut the remaining avocado half into small chunks and scatter them over the fries and onion. Pour the contents of the blender over everything. It is best to serve this dish right away!
What formats are your books in: eBook
How do you see writing a food/cookbook as different from writing other genres of books?
It’s important to personally test as many recipes as possible. This part can’t be faked! Also, with all of the recipes available on-line to people, a cookbook must have something extra to give value to its readers: recommendations for sources of hard-to-find ingredients, for example (I did this for the special squeaky cheese that is used in the most authentic poutine recipes), or some history or cultural notes about the dishes.
Advice to someone that is thinking about or currently working on a food book or cookbook
Go for it! Just be sure you are really passionate about your subject. This will sustain you through the tedious parts of the process, and will be communicated to your readers. You want them to be as excited as you are about your favorite food or recipes.
How did you decide how to publish your book and where is it published through:
As noted, I discovered poutine when I lived in Canada. After returning to my down-South home in the U.S., I started making it for myself and my friends and family. When I looked for recipes, I found many that told how to make the basic dish, but few that offered any real variations. There really aren’t many actual poutine cookbooks out there, either. I saw a need and have tried to fill it.
Author Bio:
I am a native of the Deep South, who loves the down-home food I grew up with as well as the dishes of other regions and countries that I’ve discovered through my travels. Poutine Cuisine is my first cookbook, but I’m planning others. I’ve also published several trivia quiz books.
Website
Link To Book On Amazon
