Bread In Bread
In the wee bit of travelling that I’ve done in this country, I’ve discovered one thing: While we may all be Canadians, our provincial heritage plays a big part in determining who we are.
Ontario is hugely multi-cultural. With a strong British history, the province has as many pubs and fish and chip shops as it does roti and halal meat stores. Alberta, on the other hand, wears its German and Ukranian heritage proudly, with sausage and perogies available just about anywhere.
Then there’s the stuffing rolls. Yes, you read right: Stuffing rolls.
On my first day in the deli-from-hell, I noticed that one of the items featured on the hot food side was something called a stuffing roll. “Oh, this is something distinctly Albertan” I announced. My Albertan co-workers gave me a strange look, and I quickly asked what was in it. “Well, it’s, um…stuffing. In puff pastry.” “So, it’s like bread in bread?” I asked innocently. I think the conversation ended there.
In the weeks that followed, several people tried to tell me that they had chicken in them. Then they changed their story and said it was chicken-flavoured stuffing. They were starting to make me nervous.
Just this past week, I finally tried one of the carb-and-fat-laden morsels. The puff pastry was light and flaky and I wondered if I was tasting butter or a reasonable facsimile. Inside, there was sage-infused stuffing. Not bad, really. It tasted like it had been scooped from a turkey. And there it was: bread in bread, with flavours. God only knows what its origins are, but it can be yours for only $1.19.
My advice? Stick to the roast chicken and make your own side dishes. You’ll live longer.
