Yesterday I taught a Canadian cooking class for the teachers at Minami junior high school. When they first asked me to do the class, I was at a bit of loss. What is Canadian food anyway? Turkey dinner? Chicken balls? Perogies? For better or worse, our culturally mixed heritage defies gastronomic categorization.

The Japanese have a hard time with there not being a distinct Canadian cuisine. Sushi dates back to the 8th or 9th century; it was a way to preserve rice. Sake and miso are as ancient as red wine and butter, sashimi as culturally loaded as lamb. Unfortunately I couldn't pass the buck off on multiculturalism (is that Trudeau I hear quaking in his boots?). I would need to cook something Canadian.

My googles turned up bannock, which is pretty rare in most parts of Canada, and poutine, which is pretty gross, especially when its been left on the counter for a couple days like my old roommates used to do. I wanted to do perogies, but didn't have the eight hours needed to create them. I thought of Saskatchewan wild rice, but didn't want to dip into my own precious supply.

After much brainstorming, I decided on shishliki, one of Grandma Sookocheff's recipes - lamb or pork marinated for three or four days in salt, pepper, garlic and onion (thanks for the spice dad!). On the side would be potatoes, onions and carrots grilled in foil, devilled eggs, Rice Krispie cake and cherry Nibs. It would be a BBQ, Canada style.

I started marinating the shishliki shortly after returning to Japan. I left it out on the counter for about eight hours, then threw it in the fridge for three days. On the fourth day it started to smell a little funny, so I put it in the freezer. Thawed the next day, it didn't smell much better; the Japanese looked worried and truthfully, so was I. The minute it was cooked, a sneaked a taste test: delicious!

In fact, the entire meal turned out fine. They couldn't believe you could melt marshmallows, took second helpings of the shishliki and potatoes, didn't care for the devilled eggs and couldn't stand Nibs (one woman spit hers into a napkin). I think they enjoyed their Canadian cooking day. I know I did.