why our mouths love quebec

I have a fondness for Quebec.
Perhaps it's that I spent 18 years of my life learning to speak French.
Perhaps it's that I have misplaced my patriotism in an area of this country that I have only visited and never inhabited.
I've studied the province's film, its theatre, its literature, and especially its food.
Speaking Quebecois French, additionally, is an entirely different beast that learning Parisien French. There are dozens of regional dialects, and idioms and expressions have evolved entirely separately than the rest of the world. It's basically taken colloquial 16th-century French and isolated it on a different continent for five centuries. What makes me proudest of Quebecois as a language is its limited use of what we in class called 'Anglicisms'. In Paris, parking is labelled Le Parking, whereas in Quebec it's still Le Stationment d'Auto. In Paris they fill up their cars with GAZ and in Quebec they use PETROL.
In any event, what matters here is that Quebec food is rich, simple and delicious, and uses local ingredients to ingenious effect.
It's the sort of food that'll keep you warm through a rough winter, and tastes like home.
I hosted a dinner party featuring traditional Quebecois dishes last week (with one Acadien dish as well).
Here are the highlights.

The Richest-Tasting French Onion Soup You May Every Try. (and it's vegetarian!)

All of the Onions. All of them. (At least 2 kilo), sliced thinly
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 Pints Stout or Dark Ale (please don't use Guiness unless you live next to the factory. Try a local brew)
2L Vegetable Stock
Bouquet Garni of thyme and bay leaves (bunch thyme, 2-3 bay leaves)
Salt and Pepper

In a large stockpot, carmelize the onions for as long as you can in the vegetable oil (at least 4 hours, but go for the whole day if possible). You can't have too many onions. You'll either have thicker soup or more soup, so you can't go wrong.
Deglaze with the beer. Add the stock, bouquet, salt and pepper and simmer, reducing by 1/3. This will take several hours.
Continue adding salt and pepper to taste. If it needs something more, season with a bit of vinegar and maple syrup.
It's best served the following day, so refrigerate overnight if possible and bring slowly back up to heat over the course of an hour or two, adding a bit more water to account for any water that will simmer off while you heat it, usually 2-3 cups.

Presentation
This is the trickiest part. Everyone expects the croutons, the melty cheese. You can either ladle the soup into serving bowls and top with the croutons and cheese, and broil in the oven for a few minutes, or serve the soup VERY VERY hot and offer guests croutons and cheese to top as they serve themselves, which is a nice option for those who don't eat dairy. Also, then it's far less work and you look extra accommodating.


Poutine with Mushroom and Wine Gravy

1 kilo potatoes (It ultimately doesn't matter what kind, but I usually go for Yukon Gold)
enough high-temperature-stable vegetable oil to half-fill a large frying pan
1 lb cheese curds (More if you have a cheese-crazy crowd.)
You could also use shredded/crumbled/cubed cheese. I've used raclettes and cheddars to great effect. You'll need something that tastes good when melted, which some cheeses do not, and melts at a sort of medium temperature. (ie not a brie)

Cut the potatoes into fries and rinse them with water. Thinner fries will fry up more quickly, but are more likely to burn if you aren't careful. Thicker fries take longer to cook through and longer still to crisp up, but will remain soft and fluffy on the inside. Choose based on your personal french fry preference and how much attention you can pay to the fries while they're cooking.
Technically, the best french-fry method is to blanch them at 300 degrees until they're cooked through, and then fry them to order at 375 degrees to crisp them. This method is super-great if you happen to have a temperature-controlled deep fryer, but tends to be cumbersome at best if you do not. Instead, I fry them crisp the first time, as if I were serving them right away, and then cool and drain them on tea towels on a baking sheet. When I'm about to serve them, I reheat them in the oven, which crisps them up anyways because the heat in the oven dries them out. This means my fries are more crispy, but aren't as soft on the inside. I like fries this way anyhow, so it works for me. You could also try blanching the fries in water and then frying them in hot oil, a method that is dangerous (because of the splattering of the water) but perfect almost every time.

Mushroom and Wine Gravy

3 Portabello Mushrooms, diced.
3 Large Onions, diced.
1/2 Head of Garlic
1/2 Bunch of Thyme, leaves only.
Salt and Pepper
750ml bottle of dry red wine

In a saucepan, carmelize the onions and garlic in a splash of oil. Take your time, let them soften into almost nothing. Add the mushrooms and do the same, sauteeing until they are very soft. Add the seasonings. Deglaze the pan with wine. Simmer, reducing by 2/3, season to taste. I use the gravy as is, but if you'd like a smooth, more traditional-looking gravy, run it through a blender with a bit of stock to thin it, or use an immersion blender.


Presentation
I like to serve poutine in a large communal bowl and let guests help themselves, but this can be messy. However you choose to serve it, layer hot fries and cheese in a bowl and pour the gravy on top. Garnish with thinly sliced chives or green onion, or a dollop of creme fraiche.


I also served Ployes, a traditional Acadien dish, with a twist.
They're usually just buckwheat pancakes served with syrup or other breakfast-like toppings.
I based mine on a recipe from Au Pied de Cochon, a restaurant in Montreal and covered them in cheese, bacon, and a maple reduction sauce, and pork tenderloin instead of the restaurant's famed foie gras.
The recipe is already posted here on Planet Green, thanks to a special guest at dinner that night.