New York Times taken to task for Instagram about Nanaimo bars.

[Anna N]

An  instagram posting has raised the ire of some Canadians — particularly those on the West Coast — for depicting the Nanaimo bar incorrectly.
 

Here.

[adey73]

2 hours ago, Anna N said:

An  instagram posting has raised the ire of some Canadians ........

 

never heard of a Nanaimo bar are they traditional or new ? 

[Anna N]

1 minute ago, adey73 said:

 

never heard of a Nanaimo bar are they traditional or new ? 

So, so traditional!  

[adey73]

Will attempt this weekend, they look like a luminous Millionaires shortcake. 

[Anna N]

5 minutes ago, adey73 said:

Will attempt this weekend, they look like a luminous Millionaires shortcake. 

The ones I have tried are incredibly sweet. I am not a fan. However, they are one of the few cuisine-related things we Canadians can claim as our own. Or at least we think we can! No doubt someone will point out that they originated elsewhere. 

Edited March 4, 2021 by Anna N
We Canadians can claim many things for our own including the Canadarm space thingy no I just wanted to be clear. (log)

[ElsieD]

1 minute ago, Anna N said:

The ones I have tried are incredibly sweet. I am not a fan. However, they are one of the few things we Canadians can claim as our own. Or at least we think we can! No doubt someone will point out that they originated elsewhere. 

 

Nanaimo bars and butter tarts!

[Anna N]

2 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

 

Nanaimo bars and butter tarts!

Absolutely. How could I forget butter tarts.  Even sweeter than Nanaimo bars but I can eat those.

Edited March 4, 2021 by Anna N (log)

[gfweb]

Toutons are Canadian, eh?

[Anna N]

Just now, gfweb said:

Toutons are Canadian, eh?

No. East Coast things. 😂😂

[gfweb]

26 minutes ago, Anna N said:

No. East Coast things. 😂😂

 

But East coast of Canada, no?

 

When I google touton it goes to NB immediately.

 

I'm giving the Newfies credit

 

 

Edited March 4, 2021 by gfweb (log)

[Beebs]

Here's the "official" Nanaimo bar recipe from the City of Nanaimo: https://www.nanaimo.ca/about-nanaimo/nanaimo-bars

 

Yum!

 

Growing up, my family spent a lot of time at our vacation home near Nanaimo. The NYT Instagram of their not-Nanaimo bar hurts my heart.

 

Oddly, the NYT recipe looks close to the original, except for not enough butter in the custard layer. The dessert pictured is all sorts of wrong, though.

 

 

[Anna N]

18 minutes ago, gfweb said:

 

But East coast of Canada, no?

 

When I google touton it goes to NB immediately.

 

I'm giving the Newfies credit

 

 

And I’m trying to push @chromedome’s buttons. 😂

[chromedome]

31 minutes ago, Anna N said:

And I’m trying to push @chromedome’s buttons. 😂

LOL Everyone knows Canada is made up of two parts, Newfoundland and the Mainland. Toutons are a Newfoundland thing; Nanaimo bars and butter tarts are a Mainland thing.

Personally I consider the correct ratio of layers in a Nanaimo bar to be "none for me, thanks," but whatever floats your boat. If served one in a situation where politeness dictates accepting it, I'll nibble a corner and then pick desultorily at the chocolate on top.

(...and as a Halifax native, I'll wave the flag for the Halifax-style "donair" as well. Yes, I know it's just another of the infinite variations on doner kebab...but dammit, it's *our* variation!)

[chromedome]

1 hour ago, adey73 said:

Will attempt this weekend, they look like a luminous Millionaires shortcake. 

Millionaires shortcake/shortbread, at least as I've seen it, = shortbread layer, dulce de leche layer, chocolate layer

Nanaimo bar = crumb crust layer; American/simple buttercream flavored with instant custard powder, chocolate layer

 

In practice ("official" recipe notwithstanding) the "cultured European-style unsalted butter" is regular salted butter (or margarine, depending on the household), and the chocolate layer is generally melted chocolate chips. I've been served renditions where the butter or margarine was replaced with butter-flavored Crisco, as well.

 

In short, they are to millionaire shortbread as Herman's Hermits were to the Beatles.

[gfweb]

Poutine and Montreal smoked meat (admittedly just another name for pastrami) are canadian too

[adey73]

58 minutes ago, chromedome said:

 Halifax-style "donair" as well. Yes, I know it's just another of the infinite variations on doner kebab...but dammit, it's *our* variation!)

 

what the funk, is that?!!

 

am hoping its some kind of Frank Zappa to something else's Rick Astley! 

Edited March 4, 2021 by adey73 (log)

[chromedome]

24 minutes ago, adey73 said:

 

what the funk, is that?!!

 

am hoping its some kind of Frank Zappa to something else's Rick Astley! 

Standard doner kebab/gyro format, with meat sliced from the vertical rotisserie and browned briefly on the flat-top. The usual additions are chopped tomatoes and onion, and - this is hte distinctive part - a sweet, milky sauce. It sounds bizarre, but the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

https://www.foodnetwork.ca/shows/great-canadian-cookbook/blog/the-delicious-history-of-the-halifax-donair/

Edited March 4, 2021 by chromedome (log)

[adey73]

the, err, "money shot" of that sauce in the photo does not look appetising!

 

but if you say so fella, I am planning a trip there one day! 

[chromedome]

Kind of a cool place for a small city, if I do say so. There's a fair-to-middling Russian expat community there, too, should that matter.

[gfweb]

19 minutes ago, adey73 said:

the, err, "money shot" of that sauce in the photo does not look appetising!

 

but if you say so fella, I am planning a trip there one day! 

 

@chromedomeThat sauce looks purulent (at best).

Edited March 4, 2021 by gfweb (log)

[adey73]

2 minutes ago, chromedome said:

Kind of a cool place for a small city, if I do say so. There's a fair-to-middling Russian expat community there, too, should that matter.

,, thanks  it's defo on the list. will hit the lobsters first, though!

 

and I am afraid I'm not that exotic fella, especially for your parts. 

My lot are old Scotia, I just happen to be in the Motherland at the moment. 

 

 

[chromedome]

Gotcha. Well, there are plenty of traces of "the old country" to amuse yourself with in Nova Scotia, beginning with the kilted pipers at every tourist attraction. For bonus points, you can always spend a day or two circling the province and taking pictures of yourself near the signs for New Glasgow, Inverness and suchlike, to send to friends and acquaintances in their old-world equivalents.

 

Spoiler...there's not a lot of similarity between New Glasgow and the original.

[Anna N]

I had completely forgotten that we had our own Nanaimogate! Here

[Kerry Beal]

10 hours ago, adey73 said:

Will attempt this weekend, they look like a luminous Millionaires shortcake. 

Better!

[FauxPas]

2 hours ago, Anna N said:

I had completely forgotten that we had our own Nanaimogate! Here

 

I'd forgotten about that stamp! 😀 I was kind of amazed that we would get a Canadian item so wrong on a Canadian stamp. Sigh.

 

And the NYT photo is definitely off! Even though I like a slightly thicker bottom layer than some folks, that is the WRONG ratio! 

 

I do like Nanaimo bars, but a little bit goes a long way. I made them two or three times a year when we were living in the US, though. It was a fun thing to bring to dinners and gatherings and I was surprised how many people raved about them and asked for the recipe. I'd joke and say, nope it's a national secret, before I would share. I know, I'm pretty lame! 😄

Edited March 5, 2021 by FauxPas
my spelling spreeeeeee was annoying, ha (log)