Simon Thibault’s favourite holiday recipe
Journalist, writer and producer Simon Thibault lives in Halifax now, but his French-Acadian roots are solidly planted in Digby County and the lovingly named French Shore.
It’s no surprise then that his latest cookbook, Pantry and Palate: Remembering and Rediscovering Acadia Food, is focused squarely on the savoury and comforting foods of his past and his culture.
“After years of having my mother make Christmas dinner for an extended family, about 10 or more years ago I started making Christmas dinner myself for the family,” Thibault said. “One of the things that has become a tradition itself is a cider-brined turkey.”
He calls that “very 21st century, very modern,” and opts for a modern dessert as well.
“I also make a maple-pumpkin crème brûlée, for dessert, which my mom is now like ‘please make this’ every year now,” he said with a laugh. “Tradition is great, but there’s always room for bits of change too.”
Thibault says almost every Acadian or Franco-Canadian household will usually have some form of meat pie for the holidays, from tourtiere to wild game – as long as there’s some kind of meat involved, it fits the mould.
With his new book, Thibault scoured through old cookbooks and recipes and said the feedback he’s received from other Acadian families has been eye opening.
“They’ll write to me and say ‘oh my God, you put this in that?’ People, especially around the holi- stir until smooth.
4. Sift together the flour and other dry ingredients.
5. Incorporate dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, creating a dough.
6. Roll the dough into two logs, wrap in plastic film and chill for one hour.
7. On a floured surface, roll the dough until it is a little more than an one-eighth of an inch thick.
8. Cut into desired shapes, using cookie cutters. If you don’t have a cookie cutter, even a small water glass will do the trick.
9. Place in oven and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges turn golden brown.
* The original recipe stated to add the nutmeg with the rest of the dry ingredients. Adding it earlier during the creaming stage allows the flavour to bloom in the dough much better. days, have very specific relationships to foods, it has to be done the same way year after year,” he said. “I respect and admire that, but at the same time, people have to realize that people also eat other things.”
CUISINE CONNECTIONS
Growing up in Church Point, Digby County, until he moved to Halifax, Thibault has a strong connection with Acadian cuisine and says he’s noticed a growing awareness and fondness for it.
“What I’ve really learned about this book is that people are starting to look at their own food as a manifestation of their own culture and that’s kind of exciting to see,” he said. “I grew up with a very specific meat pie recipe, made up of wild rabbit in a tea biscuit dough, which was very particular to my home, but other parts of the Maritimes have differences that are very specific to each home and each family.”
Thibault said he had to be careful as well with this project, as the recipes are considered sacrosanct to so many people.
But, in the end, no matter what you make, cooking together is the most important part.
“If you’re worried about cooking or not super comfortable with it, the best time to do it is over the holidays because you’re doing it together,” he said. “The actual taste experience is secondary to actually making it together. I think that’s really kind of wonderful.”