CHC Canada 150 Food Blog Challenge 2017

In honour of Canada’s 150th anniversary, CHC invited food bloggers to participate in our Canada 150 Food Blog Challenge. We named a topic for every month, and over the course of the sesquicentennial year, 27 bloggers posted just shy of 100 pieces exploring our country’s culinary history.

The CHC is pleased to announce our top choices:

1. UrbnSpice: A Taste of Heart and Home by Denise Paré-Watson. Read Celebrating Food Preservation Yesterday and Today or My Mom’s French Canadian Tourtière to see how Denise combines a strong understanding of Canadian culinary history with excellent recipes illustrated by outstanding photography,
2. Signe’s Kitchen by Signe Langford. Read A Tart Tart! to see how Signe weaves personal and cultural history with intriguing recipes.
3. Canadian Literary Fare by Shelley Boyd, Licia Canton, Nathalie Cooke and Alexia Moyer. Read Granville Island Public Market to see how much this blog’s authors have learned about Canada and its food from their fiction and nonfiction reading.

The top three were chosen by CHC board members Carolyn Crawford, Sarah Hood and Sylvia Lovegren on the basis of the blogs’ Canadian focus, their historical content, the quality of writing and practical culinary information. They will receive honoraria of $100, $75 and $50.

Thanks to everyone who participated in CHC’s Canada 150 Food Blog Challenge; there were so many worthy entrants!

December 2017: Winter Holidays

• Butter Tart Bundt Cake (Terri Gilson, Food Meanderings)
• Butter Tarts – A Canadian Classic (BJ Reeve, Vintage Cookbook Shelf)
• Christmas Eve Cider (Marguerite Dakin, Accenti)
• Christmas Eve Tourtière (Bernice Hill, Dish ‘n’ the Kitchen)
• Escaping Christmas Dinner (Emma Pivato, Accenti)
• Gingerbread: A Sicilian-Canadian Tradition (Francesca M. LoDico, Accenti)
• Holiday Memories (Valerie Zuliani Di Paolo, Accenti)
• My Canada, 126/150: The Dish on Dumplings (Kelley Teahen, Teahen Tales)
• The Un-Christmas Day Feast (Denise Paré-Watson, UrbNSpice)

November 2017: Remembrance

• Poppy Crackers by Marguerite Dakin (Accenti)
• Rations and Recipes (previously published) by Elinor Florence on her self-named blog
• A Tart Tart! by Signe Langford (Signe’s Kitchen)
• Vintage Spice Cake with Toffee Frosting by Denise Pare-Watson (UrbNSpice)

October 2017: Autumn Celebrations

• Autumn Bounty (Delia De Santis, Accenti)
• Cranberry Sauce with Apples and Molasses (Bridget Oland, Crosby’s Molasses)
• Historic Thanksgiving Menus for Prisoners and Presidents in the U.S. (Janet Feduck, Dining Out with History)
• How to Make Homemade Maple Molasses Caramel Popcorn (Denise Pare-Watson, UrbNSpice)
• My Canada, 103/150: Mary’s Paprekash (Kelley Teahen, Teahen Tales)
• A New Take on an Old Pumpkin Cake Recipe (Allison Fisher, The Convivial Kitchen)
• The Oldest Thanksgiving Desserts (Jan Feduck, Dining Out with History)
• Pumpkins, Playpens, Poetry and Pies (Shelley Boyd, Canadian Literary Fare)
• Skillet Cooked Apple and Sage Stuffing (Markus Mueller, Earth, Food & Fire)
• The Story of Halloween Apples & Salted Toffee Caramel Apples (Terri Gilson, Food Meanderings)
• Thanksgiving Pumpkin Muffins (Colleen Stewart Haynes, Cooking with Jilly)

September 2017: School Food

• Pasta con Piselli (Christina Sforza, Accenti)
• School Lunches – Oh, How Things Have Changed! (UrbnSpice)

August 2017: Preserving

• Canning Peaches Like a Caveman (The Primal Desire)
• Celebrating Food Preservation Yesterday and Today (UrbnSpice)
• Healing Harvest: Butternut Squash Carrot Soup with Ginger and Turmeric(Conifères et Feuillus)
• More Home Jamming (Teahen Tales)
• Mushrooms Like Paper-Thin Memories (Accenti by Giulia De Gasperi)
• Peach Marmalade (No Pectin) (Two Kooks in the Kitchen)
• Preserving Summer’s Latecomers (Accenti by Elizabeth Cinello)
• Put Up Your Green Beans (Canadian Literary Fare)
• Sweet and Crunchy Freezer Pickle Recipe (Bridget’s Green Kitchen)
• Very Berry Summer No Cook Freezer Jam (Farm Girl City Chef)

July 2017: Confederation Picnic (1867 & 1967)

• Denise Paré-Watson of the blog UrbnSpice contributed a post titled A Canadian Family Picnic circa 1867 Featuring Old-Fashioned Raspberry Cordial.
• CHC members Carolyn Crawford and Sherry Murphy animated Montgomery’s Inn in Etobicoke, Ontario, on Canada Day with an 1867 picnic that included pickled eggs, lettuce salad with cooked salad dressing, biscuits, ham, pickles, tea and apple cider.
• CHC member Mackenzie Bodnar shared scenes from an 1867 picnic organized by members of Pickering Museum Village’s Vintage Victuals and Nimble Thimbles groups on Sunday, July 2. They enjoyed Queen Victoria Cake, Queen Cakes, Onion and Potato Pie (from a Hannah Glasse recipe), a cold chicken dish, lemonade and Raspberry Shrub, among other dishes.

June 2017: To Market!

• City Farms for City Markets (Teahen Tales)
• Granville Island Public Market (Canadian Literary Fare)
• Hold On Tight (Canadian Literary Fare)
• To Market, To Market (Farm Girl City Chef)
• Vegetable Tian—Gluten-free, Grain-free, Refined Sugar-free (UrbNSpice)

May 2017: Food from Mother

• Digest This! (Signe’s Kitchen)
• From My Mother’s Kitchen (Canadian Literary Fare)
• Mango Pickles (Conifères & Feuillus)
• Mom’s Sweet & Sour Cucumber Salad (Farm Girl City Chef)
• My Canada 103/150: Mary’s Paprekash (Teahen Tales)
• My Mom’s French Canadian Tourtière (UrbnSpice)

April 2017: First Fresh Foods of Spring

• Asparagus Crimes, No Punishment (Signe’s Kitchen)
• Aunt Ellen’s Rhubarb Cake Recipe (Eat Locally, Blog Globally)
• Chives: A First Edible Sign of Spring (Farm Girl City Chef)
• Easter Tidings (Canadian Literary Fare)
• My Canada, 72/150: Rooting for Rhubarb (Teahen Tales)
• Savoury Rhubarb Apple Compote with Savoury Pork Medallions (Urbnspice)
• Spring Green’s Burger Recipe (Just Another Day on the Farm)
• Sweet Potato Pattoes with Dandelion Greens (Dish ‘n’ the Kitchen)
• Tea Cosy Cafe (Canadian Literary Fare)

March 2017: Maple

• Alice Munro’s Maple Mousse (Canadian Literary Fare)
• Calgary Maplefest des Sucres (Heather’s Eats)
• Candied Maple Pecan Yams (The Primal Desire)
• Healthy-ish Avocado-Maple-Pineapple Milkshake (Carmy)
• I’d Tap That! (Signe’s Kitchen)
• Making Maple Syrup – A DIY Guide (Earth Food and Fire)
• Ma Mère’s Maple Fudge – Sucre à la Crème (Dish ‘n’ the Kitchen)
• Maple – A Timeless Canadian Tradition (UrbnSpice)
• Maple Syrup & the Best Chicken Marinade Ever (Maple & Marigold)
• Maple Syrup for Sweet Occasions (Canadian Literary Fare)
• Maple Syrup Musings (Eat Locally, Blog Globally)
• Moose Maple Stew with Bannock Topping (Just Another Day on the Farm)
• My Canada, 60/150: How Sweet It Is! (Teahen Tales)
• Not-Beaver Beaver Tail (Pork Schnitzel) & Maple Cherry Sauce (The Primal Desire)
• Thai Inspired Maple Balsamic Glazed Chicken Drumsticks (Earth Food and Fire)
• Vegan Baked Beans (Fèves au lard) (Conifères et Feuillus)

February 2017: Doing Without

• The Art of Doing Without (UrbnSpice)
• The Canadian Wartime Recipe Challenge 2015 (Just Another Day on the Farm)
• Did Powdered Milk Candy Save The War? (Heather’s Eats)
• Doing Without (Just Another Day on the Farm)
• The Family Fish Pie (Dish ‘n’ the Kitchen)
• Foodie by Nature, Frugal by Nurture (Signe’s Kitchen)
• Food Rationing, Doing Without and Delicious Broccoli Stems (Maple and Marigold)
• Fresh Eggs and Polenta Chips (Canadian Literary Fare)
• Spiced Carrot and Apple Cake (Conifères et Feuillus)
• The Sweet Side of Rationing (Dufferin County Museum & Archives)
• Traill’s Irish Mash (Canadian Literary Fare)

January 2017: Fish and Seafood

• Baked Haddock in Parchment with Lemon and Herb (Earth Food and Fire)
• Canned Smoked Whitefish (Nutmeg Disrupted)
• Char Patties (Just Another Day on the Farm)
• East Meets West: A Fish Story (Eat Locally, Blog Globally)
• Fish Soup in Percé, Canada (Smita Chandra)
• Fishing the Ottawa (Signe’s Kitchen)
• Fried Perch in Erieau, Ontario (Smita Chandra)
• Happy Year of the Rooster, Let’s Eat Fish! (Backyard Farms)
• Lobster Benedict with Saffron Hollandaise (The Primal Desire)
• My Food Story & Salmon with Masala Onions (Maple and Marigold)
• Oysters: The raw and the cooked (Canadian Literary Fare)
• Pomegranate-Glazed Salmon (The Primal Desire)
• Potlatch Salmon (UrbnSpice)
• Rye and Tuna Patties & A Tale of Two Immigrants (Conifères & Feuillus)

Participating Blogs

1. Accenti, The magazine with an Italian accent (various authors)
2. Backyard Farms (Heather Kilner)
3. Canadian Literary Fare (Nathalie Cooke, Alexia Moyer, Licia Canton and Shelley Boyd)
4. Carmy: Run Eat Travel (Cammy Do)
5. Conifères et Feuillus (Annika Patel)
6. The Convivial Kitchen (Allison Fisher)
7. Cooking with Jilly (Colleen Stewart Haynes)
8. Crosby’s (Bridget Oland)
9. Dining Out with History (Janet Feduck)
10. The Dip Diva Dishes (Selena Bruni-Aprile)
11. Dish ‘n’ the Kitchen (Bernice Hill)
12. Dufferin County Museum and Archives (Laura Camilleri)
13. Earth Food and Fire  (Markus Mueller)
14. Eat Locally, Blog Globally (Sarah B. Hood – CHC board member, not eligible for prizes)
15. Farm Girl City Chef  (Joanne Ochej)
16. Food Meanderings (Terri Gilson)
17. Heather’s Eats (Heather Mitchell)
18. Just Another Day on the Farm (Valerie Johnstone)
19. Maple and Marigold (Puneeta Chhitwal-Varma)
20. Nutmeg Disrupted (Redawna Kalynchuk)
21. The Primal Desire (Raj Charles)
22. Schipano Fine Foods (Luciano Schipano)
23. Signe’s Kitchen (Signe Langford)
24. Smita Chandra (Smita Chandra)
25. Teahen Tales (Kelley Teahen)
26. Two Kooks in the Kitchen (Jenna & Cheryl)
27. UrbnSpice: A Taste of Heart and Home (Denise Paré-Watson)