I'm torn-either strawberries or garlic-these are just not the same when they come from far away
Some ideas that come to mind:
-jigs dinner from Newfoundland-not my favourite, but the Newfies seem to dig it-think boiled salt meat, cabbage etc.
-I second the butter tarts and Nanaimo bars (my favourite Nanaimo bars are mint-flavoured)
-perhaps some Canadian cod with Canadian beer batter
-Bannock or pemmican would be some Aboriginal options
-something with Saskatoon berries (though you'll be hard pressed to find them this time of year)
-good old Canadian bacon
Barakat, in London Ontario. It has the best shwarma ever!
Johnstone's Bakery in Parkhill, Ontario, Canada. Sadly, it's not open anymore, but when I was a kid, my Nana would take us there for a treat, and they made THE best bread ever!
peanut M&Ms are like my crack
dips of all kinds-french onion, nacho, spinach and artichoke YUM!
Luckily, both my parents cook well. I still look to Dad to make the gravy, because his is the best (despite much practice on my part!) Mom had her standbys and I loved them-spaghetti, shepard's pie, tuna casserole, stroganoff, etc. They were simple, cozy, comfort foods for the most part, and they were great. Dad was the master barbeque-er and "big breakfast" maker.They both made sure we tried everything to ensure we weren't finicky (worked better for me than my brother though). I think initially, I never learned to cook because they were both good at what they did, and I took it for granted. I didn't really know how to cook anything substantial before grad school. I think I've more than caught up now, but sometimes I regret not benefitting from their experiences sooner!
I am starting a new tradition this year, as this is the first time we'll be hosting Christmas Day in our own home. DH makes the world's best pancakes, so I've nominated him to make them for his parents who are visiting. I will cook sausages and prepare fruit to go with it.
I have a recipe that is just as easy, in my opinion! A cup of peanut butter, 1/2 cup of sugar and an egg. Mix, drop onto a baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 8-10 minutes. I always get raves for these easy peasy treats :)
scrambled eggs with cheese and veggies with buttered toast or pasta with tomatos and lentils
I haven't been in years (due to living far far away), but Green Mango near Yonge and Bloor was my first taste of Thai, and I've been in love ever since!
In undergrad, when I was broke and lazy, I often ate baked potatoes with salsa and cheese. I still eat these (with the skin, always!) when I'm feeling nostalgic.
I've had good luck with Alton Brown's baked brown rice recipe-I think you can get it on the food network website.
I'm a big fan of all things cold...shepard's pie, tuna casserole, pasta, potato, cooked veggies, pizza, the list goes on.
I would be a professional meal planner. I don't know if "Fixing Dinner" is on the air outside of Canada, but Sandy Richard goes to homes, finds out their challenges with cooking at home, learns their food preferences and cooking abilities, and then develops recipes and a plan so they can cook at home more often. She teaches them a few recipes to get rolling, and then leaves them for a few weeks to try the plan. I'd take that gig-it's like problem solving and cooking all in one-appeals to my analytical brain that likes to cook and help people!
garden fresh tomato and cucumber sandwiches or bulgar stuffed summer squash
Just a tip-sometimes during back-to-school sales, places like Superstore have a kitchen "starter kit" with all the utensils, measuring cups/spoons etc. for a good price. I also have tons of hand-me-downs from grandparents/aunts etc. Garage sales might be fruitful for supplies too.
As sad as this is, buy some labels so you can identify your food-this is to avoid arguments, believe me. Set some kitchen ground rules too e.g., expectations for when dishes are done, so you don't have to move someone else's dirty dishes out of the sink 15 times in a week (a friend of mine had so many arguments with his roommates about this that they each bought a rubbermaid container to put their dirty dishes in until they felt like cleaning them, so they could avoid this problem-ewwww!) and when you'll be cooking/cleaning. I ran into trouble when I had a half hour before a night class and my roommate was using the oven, stove, counter etc. I guess these are more "getting along with your roomates tips" than kitchen tips... I've had some wacky roommates-can you tell?
Best of luck with school! If you're so organized you're already thinking about cooking, you'll do just fine!!
I have this happen to me all the time. Apparently I have odd tastes, because my favourite at any chain seems to disappear off the menu sooner or later, while others' faves remain. This is probably why I don't go to chains much anymore. When you finally find something worth eating, they remove the option to eat it!! I hope you find some relief with the cookbooks!
My best food experience in DR has been at Majestic Elegance, but that said, I agree wtih Lorenzo and SEAtoNYC- it's hard to find what serious eaters would describe as good food at an all inclusive resort. After attending 3 different all-inclusives, I'm pretty much done with them. Part of the reason I travel is to try different cuisines, and you won't find that on the resort, quite frankly.
another vote for empanadas here
Authentic mexican-not tex-mex, not Taco Bell type mexican, real mexican-like tamales
Clown sandwiches-I've mentioned these before on this site. Basically my mom would spread peanut butter on bread, and then leave out a bunch of toppings (raisins, cheerios, sprinkles etc.) to make clown faces on the bread. These were a huge treat, and when we'd walk home for lunch and the spread was sitting on the counter waiting for you to create a clown sandwich, life was gooooood. My brother and I still talk about it fondly...
all the stuff I love from summer and miss during the winter: peaches, berries, cherries, tomatos, green beans (maybe even in "extreme bean" form!!) cucumbers (my nana's recipe if I could emulate it)... sooo many more the longer I think about it...
Grilled asparagus with olive oil and balsamic. For some reason, the one time I made this camping it was incredible, but haven't been able to emulate since. Perhaps the campfire is preferable to my bbq?
I received a breadmaker as a gift last year and have made various breads with varying success. The thing that is driving me nuts is that for all the rapid cycle recipes, you need vital wheat gluten, and I have had absolutely no luck finding it anywhere!! Where do you get this elusive ingredient?
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Sounds like a lovely treat Sdync. When my brother and wife had their little guy last fall, I cooked a ton of different freezer friendly meals, portioned them into single servings and brought them over. I also baked a big batch of my sister-in-laws favourite cookies. They ate well for the first couple of months even if all they did was throw something into the microwave!