French Recipes (Lewiston, Bangor, Gorham: home, stores, move)

[chiisai]

I would love to get some French recipes. My husbands family is French, from what I have been told they come from the Three Rivers area. I have no idea where that is.

My husbands memere' will be 100 in Feb, and I'd like to make something she may have had in her younger days. I have had meat pie, but don't have a recipe for it. So if you have any recipes to share please do!

Thanks in advance for all of your replies.

p.s. I'm glad I found this forum, it has been so helpful and the people have been just great. I'm still learning how to use all of the features, so bear with me.

[msina]

I think you refer to the "Three Rivers" area. Dover Foxcroft, Milo, Brownville, Medford, Sebec are in the area. Here's a link for the "French Meat Pie" you're looking for.
French Meat Pie - Allrecipes

[Maineah]

French Pork Pie

We're Irish but my Grandfather was Canadian.
We used to have these little pork pies now and then.
They were delicious.

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 pounds lean ground pork
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 bay leaf
3 cups water
4 baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 (15 ounce) packages refrigerated pie crusts

DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepan, mix together the ground pork, cloves, cinnamon, onion, salt, celery, bay leaf and water. The water will help break up the raw pork. Simmer over medium-low heat for about 3 hours, or until the water has evaporated. Remove from the heat and discard the bay leaf.
Towards the end of the pork cooking time, place the potatoes into a separate saucepan and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and mash potatoes. When the pork is done, stir the mashed potatoes into that pan until evenly blended.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line two 9 inch pie plates with bottom crusts. Spoon equal amounts of the pork filling into each crust. Cover with top crusts and flute the edges to seal.
Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until crust is golden brown

[chiisai]

Originally Posted by Maineah

French Pork Pie

We're Irish but my Grandfather was Canadian.
We used to have these little pork pies now and then.
They were delicious.

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 pounds lean ground pork
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 bay leaf
3 cups water
4 baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 (15 ounce) packages refrigerated pie crusts

DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepan, mix together the ground pork, cloves, cinnamon, onion, salt, celery, bay leaf and water. The water will help break up the raw pork. Simmer over medium-low heat for about 3 hours, or until the water has evaporated. Remove from the heat and discard the bay leaf.
Towards the end of the pork cooking time, place the potatoes into a separate saucepan and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and mash potatoes. When the pork is done, stir the mashed potatoes into that pan until evenly blended.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line two 9 inch pie plates with bottom crusts. Spoon equal amounts of the pork filling into each crust. Cover with top crusts and flute the edges to seal.
Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until crust is golden brown

This will be a great one to try. It sounds similar to what I had, but yours sounds like it has more "spice" to it. Can't wait to try it.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Trois Rivieres is on the north side of the St. Lawrence River between Quebec City and Montreal. It is a paper mill city.

As to something that "memere" might have made, the very easiest thing is ployes made with buckwheat flour. The mix is available in any supermarket or most general stores anywhere in Northern maine or even Lewiston. ;-)

[chiisai]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

Trois Rivieres is on the north side of the St. Lawrence River between Quebec City and Montreal. It is a paper mill city.

As to something that "memere" might have made, the very easiest thing is ployes made with buckwheat flour. The mix is available in any supermarket or most general stores anywhere in Northern maine or even Lewiston. ;-)

When I come up on Friday, I'll have to look for it.

Is it something I could find in Shaw's, or should I stick to the smaller general stores?

[elston]

You can find the ployes mix in the large supermarkets in the same area that you see pancake mixes....you might also look in the meat department ..... there is a French Canadian Company "Mailhot" that sells the tourtiere pork pies and they also sell a pork spread that is sometimes called Creton and others call it Gorton; they also sell old fashion herbs salle or salted herbs; and they sell salmon pie, which is like the pork pie but is salmon in potato rather than pork. they also sell Boidin or blood sausage.

Maine has a very rich Franco-American heritage and they have made many contributions to the state's culture and way of life. When I was working I used to be the recipient of pork pies at christmas time from several of the ladies I worked with....they knew I love them......There were two distinct ways they were seasoned.....one was with clove and cinnamon blends of spice.....and the other was more sage and thyme..(Bell's seasoning)....They were both delicious....but families had very decided ideas about which was right. I think the gifts of pies had a great deal to do with proving that their family's was best! Also some were all pork, some pork and ground beef and one was pork, grd beef and turkey giblets--all were bound together in mashed potato.

God Bless your mother in law....I hope she has a wonderful birthday.

[chiisai]

Thanks for the names of things. Now I have some things to look for. I found this link Mailhot Pork Creton this company is in Bangor!!

I may be able to go there before we come back to MA on Saturday.

I just asked hubby to bring home ground pork and pie crust, on his way home from work.

I'll just have to try making the meat pie, with the different meats and seasonings. This could be fun, tasty, and fattening! Thankfully I have a Lap-Band so I won't be eating that much.

The Ployes mix sound good too. Is it like a pancake, but more hearty? Would it be served with fresh fruit, or jam/jelly?

What about treats? Is there a special cookie, or desert I could try?


Keep the ideas coming.

[elston]

Originally Posted by chiisai

Thanks for the names of things. Now I have some things to look for. I found this link Mailhot Pork Creton this company is in Bangor!!

I may be able to go there before we come back to MA on Saturday.

I just asked hubby to bring home ground pork and pie crust, on his way home from work.

I'll just have to try making the meat pie, with the different meats and seasonings. This could be fun, tasty, and fattening! Thankfully I have a Lap-Band so I won't be eating that much.

The Ployes mix sound good too. Is it like a pancake, but more hearty? Would it be served with fresh fruit, or jam/jelly?

What about treats? Is there a special cookie, or desert I could try?


Keep the ideas coming.

I get the Mailhot products in my local (Gorham) Hannaford store....you dont have to go to Lewiston where the company is....and certainly not all the way to Bangor. They also make a great breakfast sausage that is a little different from Jimmy Dean etc. I dont know if it is traditional French Canadian...but it is good.

Poutine is a french dish also.......(very fattening) frenchfries, cheese curds and brown gravy! I bet your memiere remembers it. When people worked hard out doors in freezing weather.....the extra calories were a good thing.

[chiisai]

I don't mind the ride to Bangor. Hubby and I are looking for land in the Skowhegan, Athens, Cornville, Harmony, Anson, Starks area. We will be taking yet another ride up to Maine this Friday, to do some drive bys, and lookie loos.

I'll make sure we stop at a Hanaford's and check out the products, before we head home on Sat.

The Poutine sounds interesting, I'll have to do a search and see what I can find for a recipe.

Thanks again for all these ideas!

Originally Posted by elston

I get the Mailhot products in my local (Gorham) Hannaford store....you don't have to go to Lewiston where the company is....and certainly not all the way to Bangor. They also make a great breakfast sausage that is a little different from Jimmy Dean etc. I don't know if it is traditional French Canadian...but it is good.

Poutine is a french dish also.......(very fattening) frenchfries, cheese curds and brown gravy! I bet your memiere remembers it. When people worked hard out doors in freezing weather.....the extra calories were a good thing.