# Tourtiere - Canadian French Meat Pie



## RAYT721 (Jun 23, 2004)

*TOURTIERE (Canadian French Meat Pie)*

This is a Canadian French tradition for the holidays that is sometimes overlooked as a year-round entree. 

2 lbs. ground lean pork
1 lb. ground lean beef chuck
2 lg. onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
2 tsp. salt
1/2 to 2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. celery salt
1/2 tsp. ground sage
1 c. water
3 med. potatoes, mashed
2 pkgs. pie crust mix

  Combine pork, beef, onion and garlic in large heated skillet.  Cook, stirring often until meats lose pink color.  Stir in poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, celery, sage and water.  Cover.  Simmer 20 minutes.  Uncover, simmer 10 minutes longer.  Remove from heat.  Stir in mashed potatoes.  Cool.  Prepare pie crust mix.  Divide into fourths.  Put crust into 9-inch pie shell, spoon half of cooled meat mixture into shell.  Fold over edges of crust.  Brush with egg.  Put on top crust.  Trim.  Brush with egg.  Cut slits in middle. Repeat for second pie.  Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue cooking for 25 minutes.  Bake and freeze or serve right away.  Makes two pies.


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## Claire (Sep 4, 2004)

How funny!  You almost never see anyone make this.  I do it every holiday season, but you are right.  It is particularly good on a brunch buffet and is super picnic food.  I have a hard time some places getting good ground pork (the stores in Florida wouldn't grind it to order), so have taken to making mine with a combination of Jimmy Dean sage sausage and lean ground turkey.  Rather than making it with potatoes, I use instant mashed potato flakes as a thickener.  I once made it as my contribution to a Hawaiian Christmas Eve buffet and it was a huge hit, once everyone got used to the idea of a savory pie.  I'm not a great baker, so use the little dough boy's crust.


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## Konditor (Oct 18, 2004)

In Québec, tourtière is traditionally served on Christmas eve. Although I do not live in that province, every February I like to bake this dish on a chilly late afternoon during the Québec City Winter Carnival.  Either of two recipes are prepared:  

1) Using a lard pastry, the filling comprises equal amounts of ground beef, pork, & veal, plus a chopped onion, salt & pepper, all ingredients are simmer in water for about 20 minutes, then white-bread cubes are stirred in to the mixture to aborb excess liquid.  The pie is baked at 400°.

2) For an alternate version I make sour cream pastry.  Celery, onion, and garlic are sautéed; then ground pork & veal are crumbled on top of the vegetables; after the meat is browned, I add water & seasonings (including cinnamon).


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## Claire (Oct 18, 2004)

I have used a cream cheese based pastry before, but it made the pie too rich and filling (delicous though it was, a few bites and you were full).  In our family, Christmas eve midnight mass time would roll around.  All but one or two of the adults would head out for mass, the remaining adult(s) would bring out all the Santa and/or outsized (i.e., bicycles and such) presents and put them under the tree.  When the home adults heard the others returning from mass, they'd grab a set of bells and start ringing them and yell that they just saw Santa Clause leave.  The children would wake (it's about 1 a.m.) and we'd open presents.  Among much drinking and frivolity, we'd all eat tourtiere and beets.  Has anyone else heard of the beets tradition with tourtiere?


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## kitchenelf (Oct 18, 2004)

What a great story!!!!  I haven't heard of beets with Tourtiere but I live way down in North Carolina!!!!  Sounds good to me!!!


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## Claire (Oct 18, 2004)

Oh, yes, I suppose I should have mentioned that my family is Quebecoise in origins; my father's family from Ham Nord and Thetford Mines.  My mother's family we have no idea about.  I jokingly call us "frost backs" (as opposed to wet back) because much of my family arrived in the US by, if not illegal means, certainly borderline, in the early 1900s.  I think tourtiere (and singing) are the only reminents of the old style life, and both are going away.  Sad.  Tourtiere went away for years because, face it, it can be very heavy.  But my husband, and one of my sisters', love it, so it is making a bit of a revival.  I'm trying to find the source of the beets because I have run into a few people familiar with the pie, but not the beets, which were absolutely a part of the tradition when I was a child.


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## mudbug (Oct 18, 2004)

The tourtiere is the first recipe I made from this board.  Did it kinda wrong meatwise, but family loved it anyway.  Will make it again, but not with beets (sorry, Claire - we just don't like 'em here).


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## Claire (Oct 18, 2004)

I assume with a nom de plume of mudbug, you have some cajun in you.  So you're bound to love tourtiere, although the traiditiion isn't found in LA that I know of.  My family just didn't leave Canada when the other French moved to Louisiana.  Mother's maiden name:  Landry.  Same blood in there somewhere!


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## mudbug (Oct 18, 2004)

OMG, Claire.  Landry is MY maiden name!  Seems to me that just about every third or fourth person in Lousiana also has that name (if you don't count the Thibodeaux's).  There's even a St. Landry parish.  You're correct in that my Frenchie ancestors were the ones who left (got kicked out of) Canada and settled in Acadiana.  I believe a lot of them originated from the Brittany coast of France.  

For a while I was married to a Beaupre.  Ever hear that one?


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## lyndalou (Oct 19, 2004)

I grew up in the Adirondack Region of New York State, and Canadin Meat Pie was a traditional Christmas Eve treat for just about every family in town. 

I have made it several times, but the bottom crust is kind of soggy. Any ideas? :?:


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## Konditor (Oct 19, 2004)

This recipe for *Tourtiere* was given to me by a very accomplished Québecois chef:

Pastry
2 cups flour
1 & 1/3 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup salt
5 & 1/3 oz. lard
1/3 cup boiling water
1 & 1/3 tsp lemon juice
1 large egg, beaten

Combine first 3 ingredients.  Add about 2/3 of the lard; cut in until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add remaining lard to boiling water and stir until melted.  Stir in juice & egg and add to flour mixture, tossing with a table fork until it makes a ball; dough will be soft.  Knead briefly on a floured surface and shape into a block.  Wrap in waxed paper and chill for at least 4 hours.

Filling
1 potato, peeled
1 lb ground lean pork
1 onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp EACH salt, dried thyme, summer savory
¼ tsp dry mustard
1/8 tsp allspice

Cook potato in boiling water until tender; drain, reserving 4 fl. oz. potato water; mash & set aside.  

Combine pork, reserved potato water, onion, garlic, and seasonings in large saucepan and bring to the boil.  Reduce heat and simmer mixture, stirring from time to time, until most of the liquid is reduced (about 25-30 minutes).  Remove from heat and stir in mashed potato.  Chill.

Line a 9-inch pie plate with half of the pastry.  Fill with the chilled meat mixture, cover with top pastry and seal.  Cut steam vents and decorate with pastry scraps cut out in the shape of holly leaves.

Bake at 450° for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350° and bake 20 minutes longer – until crust is golden.


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## Lifter (Oct 21, 2004)

Thanks Konditor!

I'm marking that one down, especially with the pastry instruction!


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## Claire (Oct 24, 2004)

My maiden name is Roy, actually, a name you don't see all that much in LA but a lot in Quebec.  My grandmothers couldn't cook worth a poop (boiled dinners was it) which is why I've tried to single-handedly bring back tourtiere.  It is the ONLY old traidition, food-wise.  My childhood friends were all daughters of French war brides, and only one ever heard of meat pie as a holiday, late night meal tradition, so I can probably trace it there.  She and I have had tourtiere competitions when we spend holidays together (very, very rarely).  I'll be honest, my interest was first spiked when my Avon lady in Hawaii sold me a cookbook (I'm NOT a sucker for make-up, but am a major sucker for cookbooks) with a recipe from every country Avon sells in.  In Canada it was tourtiere.  I was in my late 20s and just laughed.  Husband saw it and wanted to try it.  At that time no one in my family had made it for easily well over a decade.  Before then, I honestly didn't have a clue how to even spell it.  To my childhood ears, I'd have sworn they were saying "toot care".  And I grew up hearing French every day in my early years.  I think we need a line about food history and traditions.


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## Selket (Nov 17, 2004)

*Tourtiere*

Bon jour:

I was born up in northern Ontario a mere 30 miles from the Quebec border. Pere  Beaudry was the baker in our family.  I have such fond memories of the food he used to make.  He learned from his Grandmere. He loved to hunt and fish and there was never a shortage of wild game in the house.  So it wasn't unusual to have wild meat in our tourtiere.

Unfortunately I don't have his recipe for meat pie.   I remember the pie so well and I think I'm going to ask him for the recipe.  I think I remember him adding  onions and just various types of ground meat.   He made a gravy right in the meat and put that all in the pie crust which was made with shortening.  Then he put the top crust on and put it in the oven.  I loved it with mashed potatoes, cranberries and stuffing from the turkey...Mon Dieu,  such fond memories..

DG.


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## kitchenelf (Nov 17, 2004)

Oh, what memories!!!!!!!!!!


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## Selket (Nov 17, 2004)

*Papa Beaudry's Tourtiere*

I just spoke to Pere Beaudry and this is the recipe he gave me....I am going to be brave and make this with ground turkey since I don't eat red meat.  I think bison can also be used in place of the beef.  I will also substitute 1/2 butter and 1/2 margerine for the shortening since I don't use it.  My flour choice will be spelt.  My hubby doesn't do gluten flours too well, and spelt is more easily digested.  The pie crust will also be made from spelt flour.

Papa Beaudry's Tourtiere

1/2  tbsp. oil (or less if you prefer)
1 pound ground lean beef (veal or moose meat can also be used)
1 1/2 pounds ground lean pork 
1 clove garlic chopped fine
1 onion chopped in medium pieces
1/4-1/2 tsp. thyme or oregano, or both
salt to taste
flour mixed in a little cold water for thickening
milk or cream to brush the top of the crust
2-9 inch shortening pie crusts

Cook the onion, garlic and  spices  on medium low heat in the oil until onion is transparent, add the meat.  Let simmer  stirring occasionally until meat is no longer pink.  Make a gravy by adding the flour rue and thicken the meat mixture.  Put into crust making small slits on top of the crust for steam vents.  Brush the top of the pie with some milk or diluted cream for a nice shiny crust.  Pere Beaudry says the meat can be dry in the pie, so the gravy keeps it moist. 

Bake at 450° for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350° and bake 20 minutes longer – until crust is golden.

Bon Apetit


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## mudbug (Nov 17, 2004)

C'est formidable, DG.  Now I have three recipes for this dish of my ancestors.  Merci mille fois a Pere Beaudry !


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## Selket (Nov 17, 2004)

*Tourtiere*

mudbug...

You're very welcome.... j'espérez que vous appréciez le pâté en croûte.


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## mudbug (Nov 17, 2004)

Bien sur.  J'aime bien touts les viandes en croute!


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## kitchenelf (Nov 17, 2004)

Thank you so very much for the recipe!!!  .....something about liking meat pie?????  Not that I know the first thing about French - my translator site couldn't even translate into all English - left some of them French! LOL


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## mudbug (Nov 17, 2004)

that's cuz my French is tres bad after all these years!


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## Selket (Nov 17, 2004)

*You're welcome*

You're welcome...I hope you try it, I haven't made this in years and plan to soon.
DG


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## Claire (Nov 19, 2004)

When I was a child, this was made whenever my Roy relatives got together for Christmas.  Christmas Eve, my Roy uncles and aunts (known sometimes as weird words such as "mononk ee matant" (of course I now know mon oncle et ma tante) would get together and play musical instruments all evening.  Then the children would be put to bed.  Along about 1 a.m., bells would be rung and the children awakened (I now know the adults sans one or two, would go to midnight mass).  We'd jump up, because it meant Santa just left.  We'd open gifts, and musical instruments would be brought out again, and carols would prevail.  We'd all eat tourtiere and beets and drink eggnog (OK, OK, the adults were sipping from a communal glass of Canadian).

Many years later I started experimenting with recipes I have for tourtiere (including a French language Quebecoise cookbook, a real challenge to my high school French), and came up with this one (trying to make it lighter than the packed pork pies of my youth):

1 tube Jimmy Dean Sage sausage (because I often find it hard to get good pork ground to order)
1 lb white meat ground turkey

1 rib celery, chopped fine
1/2 to 1 onion (depends on size)

1 T rubbed sage
1/2 tsp thyme
1 clove garlic

Off to the side have:

1 c chicken or turkey broth

1/4 c instant potato flakes

pie crust of your choice (I'm no baker, I leave it to the little dough boy.  If you make it yourself, brava, bravo!!)

chop and sautee (sweat, not brown) the celery & onion, then add the meat and garlic.  When the meat is almost done, add the herbs.  I've seldom felt the need using the above mentioned meats, but if you are using ground pork or fresh sausage from  your grocers,at this point you may need to drain off some fat.  

gradually add some of the stock, until everything is a little more than moist, then sprinkle on some potato flakes.  stir these together adding one and or the other until you get a consistency that holds together but isn't pastey.  

TASTE AS YOU GO.  I haven't even mentioned salt and pepper, which you should be doing all along; lots of both, to taste (as soon as the pork is cooked, start tasting)

Fill the pie crust with the almost-set meat mixture, and cover with the top crust.  Bake until the crust is brown (a half hour or so at 350).  

More tourtiere tales to follow!!!!


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## mudbug (Nov 19, 2004)

I am loving this.  thanks, Claire!


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Nov 19, 2004)

Here in SSM, MI, my mother made a meat pie for dinner every once in a while.  The difference is that she used diced, rather than mashed potato.  We also had significant amounts of onion and carrot in there.  It was yummy.  When I had a full crew in my own house, I used to make meat pie fairly often.  It is yummy.  We also make the famous Upper Peninsula specialty, pasties.

As Emerald would say (sorry, couldn't resist  ) you could wrap good pie crust around a car bumper and it would taste good.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed fo the North


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## Claire (Nov 21, 2004)

Various kinds of meat (actually I should say savory) pies were staples in history, and had already gone out of favor when I was a child (many, many years ago!!!).  Pasties are really the same as tourtiere, just in portable form.  Do you know the reason for the thick part of the pastry on a pasty? Miners ate them with filthy, coal black hands.  A part of the crust was made very thick, and (I assume in relatively good times) was simply thrown away.  A handle.


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## Claire (Nov 21, 2004)

Oh, someone is loving the tourtiere tales.  Husband and I retired from the military, and tried to be good retirees in florida.  We had a big house, a pool, a couple of hot tubs.  Everything you are supposed to want in life.  In those years (a decade ago), I started reallyworking on Christmas tourtiere.  I think I got some brothers-in-law addicted.  Then we sold everything we owned, and went on the road.  My first priority, and husband agreed, was a holiday season in the desert of southern California, where much of my family lives, and where I remember spending many holidays.  As is often the case, family traditions fell by the wayside.  We were having a get togeher the day after CHristmas (boxing day for you Brits), and I brought tourtiere.  My cousines, aunts, uncles went crazy.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Nov 21, 2004)

Claire;  your stories of family and get togethers warms my heart.  I'm a fairly strong guy, lift weights, ride (or use to ride) dirt bikes,  scuba dive, downhill ski, have been towed behind a seventy-five mph snowmobile on cursty snow, attached by a twenty foot rope tied to an aluminum flying saucer, and a host of crazy, life threatening activities.  I have had a cracked rib from judo, have suffered 2nd degree burns on my entire right shin, and am generally very pain tolerant.  Not much brings a tear to my eye.  But I'm an absolute succer for happy family tales.  

Horror movies have no effect on me.  I used to pick nighcrawlers in a nearby cemetary as a kid.  I grew up in the woods and have lived in the heart of the big city.   But put me in fromt of a well written story where family onflict is resolved by love, and the member grow close and inseperable, and I have a lump the size of a baseball in my throat.

When you can truly enjoy your family, and give them food that is grand, or comfortable, and appreciated, or bring them any other kind of true joy, then you are living life at its best.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## Audeo (Nov 21, 2004)

Goodweed of the North said:
			
		

> But put me in front of a well written story where family onflict is resolved by love, and the members grow close and inseperable, and I have a lump the size of a baseball in my throat.
> 
> When you can truly enjoy your family, and give them food that is grand, or comfortable, and appreciated, or bring them any other kind of true joy, then you are living life at its best.
> 
> Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North



Truer words have never been written.  Thank you, goodweed.


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## Claire (Nov 21, 2004)

As I have for ages, enjoy 'tallking' about food with you!  I do have a couple more tourtiere stories.  

At the end of our last Hawaii assignment, we were invited to a local Christmas eve luau.  Not a commercial affair, the real thing.  I originally declined, citing two friends I was cooking for that night.  We all went.  We went late enough that we missed the slaughter of the pig, but otherwise all was perfect.  The various children got up and spontaneously danced hulas.  This was  about 15 years ago, when I was just starting my quest to make  the perfect tourtiere.  Pork and Hawaii have a long history, but no one had seen a savory pie before.  Once I moved the tourtiere to the right place on the buffet, it was a HUGE hit!  I  have another great story about this crowd, which I'll fit into something about fried rice.  But this was great fun.  Tourtiere is a perfect buffet food, a perfect picnic food, and is super for any kind of brunch.  In this case the locals went crazy and the pie disappeared.  It was one of my favorite Christmas Eves.


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## Claire (Dec 18, 2004)

Is it considered bad manners to just add a post to bring something to the top of the heap?  It is now PRIME TOURTIERE time. Anyone out there who does this, are you making it this year?  I think we're waiting for New Years to make it this season.


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## buckytom (Dec 18, 2004)

of course it is ok claire. we often call that "bumping" a thread up so that it gets more exposure. sometimes, someone will just post the word "bump" for that exact reason...


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## Claire (Dec 18, 2004)

Thanks, Bucky.  I'm still a realative newbie on the internet.  This (and before it the TV one) are the only ones I participate in regularly.  I tried an old house forum, but it was too hard to use.  So I don't know the protocol and various other ins & outs.


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## buckytom (Dec 18, 2004)

don't worry claire, post away and enjoy yourself. we are a relaxed and friendly group, and will help newbies get into the swim of things when we can.


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## mudbug (Dec 18, 2004)

Claire, you can bring this thread up anytime, as far as I'm concerned.  Haven't decided when I'm going to make it over the next week or two, but it will definitely arrive on the table!


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## Lugaru (Dec 18, 2004)

My roomate grew up thinking that every one had this for x-mass dinner and he is from Maine. Im really looking foward to him preparing it this year btw.


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## Selket (Dec 19, 2004)

*Meat Pie:*

Happy Holidays To Everyone...

Well I'm definitely making tourtiere but I'm going to substitute a few things in the pie.  Not using any red meat or pork.  I will be using ground turkey and gimme lean soy meat.  I made up this gimme lean stuff with onions and garlic and it tasted like pork so I'll use that.  I'm going to use organic all purpose flour for the crust and have it with some cranberries on the side.  I'm serving this for Christmas Eve dinner and on Christmas Day will have the organic duck and trimmings.  I can't wait, I just love duck, will serve it with an orange cornbread stuffing and orange flavoured cranberries on the side.  Maybe make some hasselback potatoes and a salad too.  Of course if there's any tourtiere left we can indulge in that too.  Not sure about desert, have to think on that one...maybe we won't have room left for it.


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## Claire (Dec 19, 2004)

You'll notice that my recipe calls for half lean white turkey meat.  When I was a kid, the tourtiere was so heavy, and of course the adults who ate it were half-crocked.  Not a good combination!  Another great ingredient to lighten it up is to chop some mushrooms very, very finely and saute in olive oil, then add the meat.  Traditionally, tourtiere was pork, and I'll never give that up in mine.  But I'm a huge fan of taking an old tradition and making a new one from it.  Turn it into something that works for you.  the big tradition I've let go of is that tourtiere was meant to be eaten as a midnight meal -- or at least in the wee hours -- after a night of celebration and love.  I think my freinds would think I was insane if I said, OK, we're through drinking for the night, how about some pork pie?  Haha!  I still haven't found a source for the beets tradition that was absolutely a part of it when I was growing up.  No one else has heard of it!!


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## lyndalou (Dec 30, 2004)

I made it for Christmas Eve this year.  I used all LEAN ground pork. I made my filling a day ahead, refrigerated it, and removed any fat off the top. It was delicious and  not at all heavy. 
I tend to go with the traditional recipes for the holiday and my family loves it.


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## SouthernComfort (May 19, 2005)

*Tourtiere History*

Hello to everyone. I was so intrigued by this post that I had to do a little research online and learn more about the history of this dish. I'm the type of fanatic that enjoys having international cuisine dinner parties based on a specific culture, and serving the traditional meal, from soup to nuts! 

I've found some interesting references to it and thought I would share them with those who are interested in it. 

There are several pages that refer to a pickled beet sidedish, Claire.

So here are the links to the sites that I found interesting. They contain recipes and a basic history. There are many more out there.


*http://www.leveillee.net/roots/tourtiere.htm*

*More history*
*http://www.quiltersmuse.com/Tourtiere2.htm*

*Exploring Tourtiere*
*http://www.ealdormere.sca.org/vestyorvik/tortiere.html*

*J'aime la Tourtiere* 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. - River Island Park, Woonsocket. _A classic taste. A Franco tradition. _Take part in our Annual Juried Tourtiere contest and see who makes the best in the Valley! Open call to participate. Contact Marilyn Bouchard at (401) 766-7983 for more information. _Free Admission. - Rhode Island_
*http://www.film-festival.org/flickers/cal1999.htm*

*



"I didn't claw my way to the top of the food chain to eat vegetables...." 

Click to expand...

 *


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## kitchenelf (May 19, 2005)

Thanks SC - the information will be interesting to read


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## Spice1133 (May 19, 2005)

My Mom was famous for her meat pies in our little town.  She made them much the same as RAYT721, except I don't remember her putting potatoes in them. She would simmer the filling for hours then put into the crust and bake.  She used the same filling for stuffing our turkey but would add bread cubes to it for that.


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## luvs (May 23, 2005)

Goodweed of the North said:
			
		

> Claire; your stories of family and get togethers warms my heart. I'm a fairly strong guy, lift weights, ride (or use to ride) dirt bikes, scuba dive, downhill ski, have been towed behind a seventy-five mph snowmobile on cursty snow, attached by a twenty foot rope tied to an aluminum flying saucer, and a host of crazy, life threatening activities. I have had a cracked rib from judo, have suffered 2nd degree burns on my entire right shin, and am generally very pain tolerant. Not much brings a tear to my eye. But I'm an absolute succer for happy family tales.
> 
> Horror movies have no effect on me. I used to pick nighcrawlers in a nearby cemetary as a kid. I grew up in the woods and have lived in the heart of the big city. But put me in fromt of a well written story where family onflict is resolved by love, and the member grow close and inseperable, and I have a lump the size of a baseball in my throat.
> 
> ...


 
isn't a warm family story  just great? i'm grinning away here, head tipped, just imagining the good times at claire's.


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## Claire (May 30, 2005)

Thank you so much, SC, for the sites.  I'll be printing them for more careful perusal.  It was fascinating to read about what could have been my own childhood experiences (substitute accordion, banjo, guitar, organ .... for fiddle.  Songs bilingually.  And yes, lots of dancing).  And to see that the pronunciation I remember isn't just my bad memory.  When I first saw the correct spelling, I had to repeat it myself aloud a few times before I could hear how tourtiere could easily become toot-care to my childhood ears.


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