Foodie Fryday - Steamies and Poutine

August 2011

Ex-Montrealers are always on the lookout for steamies in Toronto. These can be found everywhere in Quebec and border towns in Ontario for about $1. The term comes from steaming the hot dog - steaming a dog locks in the moisture rather than grilling which would blister the casing, thus leaking the flavour. 

Montreal steamie:

Grilling is the norm in Toronto when getting "street meat" AKA hot dog from a street vendor.

The Little Dog offer four types: Montreal's Lester's ($1.99), NYC's Nathan's Famous ($3.49), Chicago's 58's ($3.49), and a Veggie option ($3.49).

I opted for one Montreal and one Nathan's (having missed out on one in NYC a couple of weeks ago). I enjoyed the Montreal steamie the best even though the slaw was not the way you would get it served in Montreal. 

Montreal Hot Dogs "Steamies"

6 large franks (beef or chicken/pork mix)

6 large hot dog buns

Mustard to taste

1 onion, diced

Coleslaw

Steam-cook franks in a steamer or double-boiler. Toast hot dogs buns if desired. Place cooked franks in hot dog buns; top a squirt of mustard, a handful of diced onions and coleslaw. Serve.

 Montreal Hot Dogs (Steamies)Coleslaw for Steamies:

1/2 head of cabbage, finely diced

1 small onion, finely diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1/2 C mayonnaise

Black pepper to taste

Coleslaw: In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well. Set aside.  

Note: "Steamies" are served three different ways in Montreal. They can be "All-Dressed" (topped with the works; coleslaw is sometimes substituted with sauerkraut), "Michigan" (topped with chili or spaghetti sauce, with or without mustard and onions) and "Supreme" (topped with coleslaw, mustard and onions; rarely served with ketchup of green relish).

Day 11 - Glasgow

Arose to a damp dull morning. Decided we would drive to Glasgow for the day.
First stop, though was to check out the town of Blantyre that Blair's mother had immigrated from as a small child with her family. This was the birthplace of David Livingstone.

 It was also here on 22 October 1877 that the Blantyre mining disaster took place, where 207 miners (men and boys) were killed when a coal mine exploded due to methane gas. Christy Moore (an Irish singer) and Luke Kelly recorded well-known versions of the traditional song about this disaster.

Interesting name on ths pub

Did I say it was rainy?

Rainy cold weather calls for comfort food at the Counting House which also was originally a bank.

Sausages and mash!

Time to board the Hop On Hop Off with our first stop at the People's Palace.
I just loved the Doulton Statue out front.The Doulton Fountain was gifted to the city by Sir Henry Doulton, and first unveiled at the Empire Exhibition held at Kelvingrove Park in 1888. The fountain was then moved to Glasgow Green in 1890. The largest terracotta fountain in the world and the best surviving example of its kind, it has five tiers, is 46 feet high and 70 feet across the base – the third of the width of a football pitch.

Once again, my favourite queen

 I had heard about the Palace from a blogging colleague Mangocheeks back in February. We had fun chatting about steamies. The Palace has a wonderful exhibition about Glasgow life.

The sun started to come out as we decided to head back to Edinburgh.
All in all glad we visited but equally glad we chose Edinburgh as our base for the week.

Glasgow (pronounced /ˈɡlæzɡoʊ/ (GLAZ-goh); Scots: Glesga Scottish Gaelic: Glaschu) is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands. A person from Glasgow is known as a Glaswegian, which is also the name of the local dialect. It is an industrial city not nearly as pretty as Edinburgh. There are far less tourists in Glasgow.

In My Kitchen, eh!

July 2017 - Toronto ON

Happy Canada Day! 150 years young!

I thought I would feature some Canadian foodie items I've spotted recently.

Tim's or Timmie's as we typically say, is no longer just a Canadian icon.
Tim Hortons Inc. (known internationally as Tim Hortons Cafe and Bake Shop) is a Canadian multinational fast food restaurant known for its coffee and donuts. It is also Canada's largest quick service restaurant chain; as of December 31, 2016, it had a total of 4,613 restaurants in nine countries.

It was founded in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario, by Canadian hockey player Tim Horton and Jim Charade (1934-2009), after an initial venture in hamburger restaurants. In 1967, Horton partnered with investor Ron Joyce, who assumed control over operations after Horton died in 1974. Joyce expanded the chain into a multimillion-dollar franchise. Charade left the organization in 1966 and briefly returned in 1970 and 1993 through 1996.

On August 26, 2014, Burger King agreed to purchase Tim Hortons for US$11.4 billion.

Ketchup chips are credited with being a Hostess Potato Chip invention, sold only for the Canadian market. Actually, the origin of ketchup chips is the topic of some controversy, since a company in Pennsylvania has also been making ketchup-flavoured chips since the early 1980s.

Swiss Chalet is a Canadian chain of casual dining restaurants founded in 1954 in Toronto. As of 2008, there are over 200 Swiss Chalet restaurants in Canada.

BeaverTails, or Queues de Castor in French, is a famous trademarked treat made by a Canadian-based chain of pastry stands. The fried-dough treats are shaped to resemble real beaver tails and are often topped with chocolate, candy, and fruit.

Canuck beer.

Steamies!

Poutine

Click here for lots more Canada!



In My Kitchen  on the first of every month

Montreal - food

Having been in Montreal for the weekend naturally the conversation turned to food. Joel asked if Wilensky's still existed. That sent us on a Google search to find out.

Immortalized in Mordecai Richler's seminal work the Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (it's always about the books!), Wilensky's is still owned by the Wilensky family, has much of the original decor and even some of the original customers! You can still order a Wilensky's Special: grilled salami and bologna on a roll with mustard. There are hot dogs as well. All the meat is beef. There is also an old-fashioned soda fountain in which you can get drinks like cherry-cola, strawberry, cream soda, root beer and egg cream (whatever that is??).

And then for dinner last night we had steamies and poutine! Dinner of Champions!

31 Days in Canada

 In honour of CANADA DAY  I plan to post a daily image of Canada and a link to a random Canadian location we have visited.

Weekend in Montreal - 2018 random post

Quebec is Canada's largest province by area and the cultural heart of French North America. It boasts deep historical roots, unique geographical anomalies, and a distinct identity that sets it apart from the rest of the continent.

In Quebec, provincial law strictly forbids a woman from legally changing her last name to her husband's after marriage. The law was introduced as a progressive measure to promote gender equality. It ensures that a woman's legal identity is not automatically absorbed into her husband's upon marriage.

Geography & Nature

Colossal Size: It is roughly three times the size of France, covering over 1.5 million square kilometers.

Abundant Freshwater: The province holds about 3% of the world's renewable freshwater reserves and is dotted with more than a million lakes and rivers.

Ancient Landscapes: Just north of Montreal, the Laurentian Mountains are over 1 billion years old, making them one of the oldest geological formations on Earth.

Culture & History

A Walled City: Quebec City is North America’s only remaining fortified, walled city north of Mexico. Its historic district is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.

French Focus: It is the only Canadian province where French is the sole official language, with over 80% of residents speaking it as their native tongue.

Sweet Global Dominance: Quebec is the maple syrup capital of the world, producing roughly 70% of the global supply.

Inventing Poutine: The world-famous comfort food of French fries, cheese curds, and brown gravy was invented in rural Quebec in the late 1950s.

Poutine Montreal

Poutine and Steamies Montreal

Poutine Festival - Toronto

Poutine Toronto

Poutine Wawa ON

Poutine Austin TX

Poutine Las Vegas NV

An Underground Metropolis: Montreal features a 32 kilometer underground network of pedestrian walkways, shopping malls, and metro stations known as RESO, which keeps residents warm during harsh winters.

Iceland Day 3 - Reykjavik

 

 Some Fun Facts About Iceland

2025 Iceland Itinerary

Day 1 June 19(TRANSIT) - 20 2025 Reykjavik Iceland Thursday - Friday

Day 2 June 21 Reykjavik Saturday

Day 3: June 22 2025 Sunday

Well, the plan was an all day tour called The Golden Circle, but I didn't feel well and tried to encourage John to go on his own, but he wouldn't and it turned out that we both slept until 12:30!

But a plan came together by the end of the day!

It wasn't raining!!! And the sun (the Golden Bitch) made some brief appearances. It was a great day to wander around.

We headed to the gluten free crepe place for crepes and coffee.

It looks quiet, but it is not. It is Sunday and there are lots of tourists and families enjoying the good weather.

John thinks it looks like a KKK hood.

Visible from almost any point in the city, Hallgrimskirkja Church sits at the top of Skolavordustigur Street, the central art and design shopping street in the capital. The soaring modernist church’s design resembles the basalt lava flows found in Iceland‘s natural landscape, especially the basalt columns around Svartifoss waterfall. 

Hallgrímskirkja - (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈhatl̥ˌkrimsˌcʰɪr̥ca], Church of Hallgrímur) is a Protestant Lutheran (Church of Iceland) parish church in Reykjavík, Iceland. At 74.5 metres (244 ft) tall, it is the largest church in Iceland and among the tallest structures in the country. Known for its distinctively curved spire and side wings, it has been described as having become an important symbol for Iceland's national identity since its completion in 1986. The church is named after the Icelandic poet and cleric Hallgrímur Pétursson (1614–1674), author of the Passion Hymns.

The church features a gargantuan pipe organ, designed and constructed by the German organ builder Johannes Klais of Bonn. The organ weighs over 25 tons. It is 15 metres tall. The organ is driven by four manuals and a pedal, 102 ranks, 72 stops and 5275 pipes. The organ is quite powerful and capable of filling the huge space of the church.

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I had just said to John that we hadn't seen any cats and then we came across four, this guy was the most gorgeous.

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Leopard Cat with a tiger tail, leopard's body and a cat's head.

 Artist: Arnór Kári

Address: Frakkastígur 11

We walked to the end of Laugavegur Street and then back along the harbour. They get a cruise ship every day during the summer months.

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The Sun Voyager (Icelandic: Sólfar [ˈsouːlˌfaːr̥]) is a sculpture by Jón Gunnar Árnason, located next to the Sæbraut road in Reykjavík, Iceland. Sun Voyager is described as a dreamboat, or an ode to the Sun. The artist intended it to convey the promise of undiscovered territory, a dream of hope, progress and freedom.

Harpa Concert Hall - The structure consists of a steel framework clad with geometric shaped glass panels of different colours. The building was part of a redevelopment of the Austurhöfn area dubbed World Trade Center Reykjavík, which was temporarily abandoned during the 2008–2011 Icelandic financial crisis. The development included a 400-room hotel, luxury apartments, retail units, restaurants, a car park and the new headquarters of Icelandic bank Landsbanki. We had been inside on the first day as it was the meeting place for the food walk.

From there we headed to the hot dog stand, the spot is no bigger than 5 square meters and hasn’t moved an inch since 1937. It’s been open in all weather and crazy storms every single day of the year for almost 80 years!

I hadn't tried it on the food walk as I was too full!

While most hot dogs in the world are made out of pork or beef, the hot dogs here are made from lamb meat.

You have to order “eina með öllu". One with everything. Or as John said (Quebecois) "all dressed".

That is a hot dog with homemade crispy onions and sweet mustard, along with raw onion, ketchup and remoulade.

The ketchup is actually made from apples instead of glucose, which makes it so nice and kind of sweet!

You may notice that the stand only fits two humans at the time and there is always a long queue waiting outside (Even if it’s below zero outside) but the queue still moves very fast.

That’s because the employee gets paid by the hot dog. The more hot dogs, the more cash money in the bank. That explains the super fast (but very friendly) service!

SPOILER ALERT We decided we didn't love the national favourite, the hot dog, we prefer our steamies. 

We went around the corner for a beer to wash the dogs down.

On the corner of Lækjargata and Bankastræti in the heart of Reykjavík stands the Water Carrier (Vatnsberinn) by Ásmundur Sveinsson. When the City of Reykjavík bought the statue in 1948, its place was supposed to be where it now stands. It caused quite a stir; the petty-bourgeois found the statue ugly, and it was decided to not erect it.

The Water Carrier was cast in bronze in 1967 and place by Litlahlíð in Öskjuhlíð, away from any kind of traffic, it was simply hidden.

It was not until ten years ago, in 2011, that the statue was moved to its current location, at the suggestion of the Reykjavík Art Museum. The last well of Reykjavík was at that location. The sculptor Ásmundur Sveinsson (1893-1982) was one of the pioneers of Icelandic art. 

We decided to go for chips or fries, for dinner!

We have now decided on a plan. We will go to the puffin tour office in the morning and see if we can delay our Monday morning tour to Tuesday. If yes, then we will book the 12:30 Golden Circle Direct for Monday afternoon. If not, then we will do the puffin tour and then make a decision if we have enough time to make the 12:30 tour when we get back at 11.