Britsburgh Commonwealth Dinner: Spotlight on Canada

Britsburgh Commonwealth Dinner: Spotlight on Canada
Join us for a delicious evening exploring the flavors and history of Canadian cuisine!

Please join us for this year's Britsburgh Commonwealth Dinner highlighting the cuisine of our U.S. neighbour to the North, Canada.  If you think Canadian cuisine is just an extension of American, or limited to such well known menu items as Canadian bacon, poutine, and maple syrup, you are in for a surprise and a treat.  (But don’t worry, as we will include all those favourites, too!).
Kim Szczypinski of Duquesne University and of Britsburgh’s Board, will give a presentation about the regional and historical forces that shaped Canada’s rich and varied cuisine.

The dinner will reflect Canada’s diverse tapestry of cultures, including menu items of Native American, French (Quebeçois and historical French Acadian - now Nova Scotia and portions of the Maritime Provinces), and British origins.  The talk will detail each of these major historic influences as well as those on the cuisine from more recent immigrant groups.

THE DETAILS:

• 6:00 pm - Gather and mingle
• 6:15 pm – Canadian-Style Dinner
• 7:15 pm -Talk by Kim Szczypinski on Canadian Regional Foods & Food History
• 7:45 pm-Q&A
• 8:00 p.m. Program concludes

MENU: Canadian dishes reflecting regional and historic heritages and influences of Indigenous Peoples and French and British settlers.

Appetizer:  Poutine with Cheese Curds and Gravy (French/Québec)

Bread:   Bannock Bread with Butter & Berry-flavored Jam (Indigenous Peoples and Scots)

Salad:  Best Canadian Salad (features ingredients from every Canadian province)

Choice of Entrees:  Maple Mustard Glazed Salmon (Canadian Pacific Salmon meets Maple Syrup, produced mainly in Québec, Ontario, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Noval Scotia); Chicken Rappie Pie OR Vegan/Vegetarian Rappie Pie (Historic French colony of Acadia, now Nova Scotia and portions of the Maritime Provinces)

Sides:  Buttered Carrots (French origin) and Roasted Garlic Brussels Sprouts (British Columbia and Alberta)

Desserts:   Apple Walnut Butter Tarts (Ontario, with influences from British and French settlers) and Vegan Naimo Bars (Naimo, Vancouver Island, British Columbia).

Specialty Cocktail:  White Canadian Whisky Cocktail (Crown Royal-Maple Finished Whisky+Kahlúa+Almond Cream.  Manitoba, Scots/Irish-influenced whisky, with a little help from Mexico re the Kahlúa!)

Beverages:  Coffee or Tea

Kim Szczypinski is Study Abroad Coordinator at Duquesne University.  A native of Pittsburgh, she has traveled widely, including several times to England and Scotland.  Kim has a Bachelor's degree in Education from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master's Degree in modern European History from Duquesne University. She is a member of Britsburgh’s Board and is currently its Secretary. She also serves on its Executive Planning Team.

Parking for this event is available in Duquesne’s Visitor Parking/Forbes Garage (Enter on Forbes Avenue) after 5:00 p.m. or in the nearby Chatham Garage and other area lots.  Take the elevator in Duquesne’s Visitor /Forbes Parking Garage to the 8^th floor Campus level, exit the garage and walk straight ahead to the Student Union.  After entering the Union, walk to the elevator at the rear of the 2^nd floor lobby and take it to the 6^th floor.  Room 613 Union is immediately to the right when you exit the elevator.  (If you park in the Chatham Garage or another nearby lot, you can still access the Forbes Garage elevator.  Enter on foot at Forbes and McAnulty Drive and proceed to the 8^th floor Campus level, then follow the directions above.