Review – Épatante Patate: Éloge de la pomme de terre ISBN 9782924251430

Épatante Patate: Éloge de la pomme de terre
By Véronique Leduc and Fabrice Gaëtan
ISBN: 9782924251430
Price: $29.95
Publisher: Éditions Parfum d’encre

Review by Nathalie Peron

Ah, the potato! Once judged to be unworthy of human consumption, the humble potato has slowly but surely made its way into our hearts and onto our plates. From the lowly “poor man’s meal” to the high-end restaurant entrée, from the farmer’s field to the chef’s table, Épatante Patate is an ode to this beloved tuber, covering all there is to know about it and its presence in Québec throughout history.

A chapter on the history of the potato starts in the Renaissance, when Europeans first came upon potatoes in South America, and describes its invasion of Europe, how it travelled to New France and how it made its way into French-Canadian cuisine. Another chapter covers the growing process of the potato, from seeding to harvesting, preservation to processing, drawing special attention to local growers and their love for the land. There is even a chapter in which Québec chefs share some of their potato recipes, displaying the wildly varied culinary uses of the vegetable.

But the most important section may be the chapter on poutine and the casse-croûte, the famous Québec french-fry  shack, which goes into detail about the history of the iconic, greasy dish, including its impact in Québec and throughout Canada. The most popular establishments all over la belle province are listed, providing a veritable roadmap for the summer travels of poutine geeks everywhere.

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