J\u2019ai tellement de temps libre ces jours-ci que je commence \u00e0 m\u2019ennuyer de mes premiers clients. Je les vois d\u00e9filer dans ma t\u00eate, \u00a0\u00a0aussi vivants que si j'\u00e9tais moi-m\u00eame en train de brasser ma soupe derri\u00e8re le comptoir du resto.<\/p>\n
C\u2019est pourquoi je vous pr\u00e9sente aujourd\u2019hui Jack l\u2019Alligator, un riche Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois d\u2019\u00e0 peine 50\u00a0ans, retrait\u00e9 dans les fameux Everglades am\u00e9ricains. En visite \u00e0 Montr\u00e9al chez ses fr\u00e8res, Jack a tellement entendu parler de nos galettes de sarrasin qu\u2019il est venu lui-m\u00eame nous visiter.<\/p>\n
Apr\u00e8s avoir g\u00e9n\u00e9reusement beurr\u00e9 ses grandes galettes, Jack roule chacune d\u2019elle avec ses doigts trapus. Puis il trempe ces cigares ainsi fabriqu\u00e9s dans sa soucoupe remplie de m\u00e9lasse et les engouffre aussi rapidement que l\u2019aurait fait un gros l\u00e9zard.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u2009La nourriture, c\u2019est le seul plaisir dont on peut jouir trois fois par jour toute sa vie durant\u2009\u00bb, s\u2019exclame l\u2019Alligator paraphrasant (le savait-il) le c\u00e9l\u00e8bre diplomate Talleyrand.<\/p>\n
Gourmand, l\u2019animal commande ensuite deux toasts de pain blanc pour go\u00fbter \u00e0 nos cretons maison. Puis il avale tout un gros bol de nos fameuses f\u00e8ves\u00a0au lard. S\u2019extasiant de compliments, l\u2019Alligator aux yeux vert kiwi me promet de revenir d\u00eener pour le p\u00e2t\u00e9 chinois au menu du jour. Avec des bettes fra\u00eeches et un g\u00e2teau renvers\u00e9 \u00e0 l\u2019ananas!<\/p>\n
Notre Jack au sourire permanent est revenu manger chez nous les 18\u00a0jours que dura sa visite \u00e0 Montr\u00e9al. Et le dernier vendredi, il m\u2019a surprise\u00a0avec un immense bouquet de roses et une belle invitation \u00e0 souper le soir m\u00eame.<\/p>\n
Je n\u2019oublierai jamais ce cher Jack parce que le ravissement \u00e9vident que lui inspira notre cuisine maison fut pour moi une pr\u00e9cieuse indication que nous \u00e9tions sur la bonne voie.<\/p>\n
Aujourd\u2019hui, en l\u2019honneur de Jack l\u2019Alligator, je vous donne ma pr\u00e9cieuse recette de cretons maison.<\/p>\n
Dans une casserole de bonne grandeur, mettez environ deux livres\u00a0de viande hach\u00e9e de porc (genre pas trop maigre).<\/p>\n
Ajoutez un oignon moyen hach\u00e9 fin et selon vos go\u00fbts, 2 \u00e0 4\u00a0gousses d\u2019ail hach\u00e9. \u00c0 feu doux, brassez jusqu\u2019\u00e0 ce que la viande brunisse un peu. Ajoutez-y environ une tasse de lait et une tasse de tr\u00e8s fines miettes de pain. Au go\u00fbt, ajoutez comme \u00e9pices du sel et du poivre, un peu de cannelle, de muscade et de clou de girofle.<\/p>\n
Brassez tranquillement et continuellement<\/p>\n
un bon 35 \u00e0 40\u00a0minutes \u00e0 feu tr\u00e8s doux.<\/p>\n
Vous verrez, ces cretons maison sont savoureux sur vos toasts le matin, et toute la journ\u00e9e pour satisfaire une petite faim. Et ils se cong\u00e8lent sans alt\u00e9rer le go\u00fbt.<\/p>\n
\u2764\ufe0f<\/span><\/p>\n Cora<\/p>\n Pst... Ce soir-l\u00e0, nous avons mang\u00e9\u00a0du requin de Floride\u00a0au restaurant Le Vieux P\u00eacheur de Dorval et avons termin\u00e9 la soir\u00e9e avec quelques caf\u00e9s flamb\u00e9s particuli\u00e8rement d\u00e9licieux.<\/p>\n Le lendemain, Jack est reparti aux \u00c9tats et moi, Dieu merci, j\u2019ai continu\u00e9 \u00e0 ouvrir des restaurants.<\/p>\n ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" J\u2019ai tellement de temps libre ces jours-ci que je commence \u00e0 m\u2019ennuyer […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":781,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-244","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lettre-mme-cora"],"acf":{"img_en":"","contenu_en":"I\u2019ve have so much free time these days that I am beginning to feel nostalgic for my very first customers. I greet them in my mind\u2019s eye, vivid and real, just as if I were back behind the restaurant\u2019s counter stirring a pot of soup.\r\n\r\nOne person who stands out in this imagined procession is Jack the Alligator. A wealthy Quebecer who was not even 50 and already retired, living in the well-known American Everglades. On a trip to Montreal to visit his brothers, he stopped by to try our buckwheat cr\u00eapes that he had heard so much about.\r\n\r\nAfter generously buttering his large cr\u00eapes, Jack rolled each one up with his stocky fingers and then dunked these \u201ccigars\u201d into a molasses-filled saucer. He swallowed them as quickly as a big lizard might.\r\n\r\n\u201cFood is the only pleasure you get three times a day for your whole life!\u201d exclaimed the Alligator, (knowingly) paraphrasing the famous statesman Talleyrand.\r\n\r\nHungry for more home-cooked flavours, the Alligator then ordered two white toasts to taste our creton spread. Then he polished off a large bowl of our famous baked beans with pork. Gushing with praise, the green-eyed Alligator promised he\u2019d return for lunch to enjoy the day\u2019s special, shepherd\u2019s pie, served with fresh, marinated beets and an upside-down pineapple cake!\r\n\r\nJack, a permanent smile lighting up his face, came back to eat at our place each day of his 18-day visit. On the last Friday in Montreal, he surprised me with a huge bouquet of roses and an invitation to dinner that evening.\r\n\r\nI will never forget Jack\u2019s visit, because the obvious delight our homemade food brought him was an important sign that we were on the right track.\r\n\r\nToday, in honour of Jack the Alligator, I am sharing with you my precious homemade creton recipe.\r\n\r\nIn a good-sized pot, place about 2 pounds of ground pork (not too lean).\r\n\r\nAdd an onion chopped medium fine, along with 2-4 chopped garlic cloves, according to your taste.\r\n\r\nTurn the element on low and stir until the meat begins to brown a little. Add about a cup of milk and a cup of very finely chopped breadcrumbs. Season to your liking with salt and pepper, and a little cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Gently stir continuously for a good 35-40 minutes on very low heat.\r\n\r\nYou\u2019ll see, this homemade creton makes a delicious topping for your morning toast or a satisfying snack at any time of the day. It also freezes well without losing its flavour.\r\n\r\n\u2764\ufe0f<\/span>\r\n\r\nCora\r\n\r\nPsst... That evening, we ate shark from Florida at the restaurant Le Vieux P\u00eacheur in Dorval, followed by a few Irish coffees that were especially delicious. The following day, Jack left for the States and I, thank goodness, continued to open new restaurants."},"yoast_head":"\n