Ushering in the New Year - Tourtiere du Shack

I am a believer that food is a cure-all. As people make their annual resolutions I wonder at how they can even envision such discipline - giving up carbs? sweets? wine? Nope, I don't have it in me. Instead, I have decided to embrace food and consume more than ever before - partially kidding. 

I decided to make this recipe, the Tourtiere du Shack, as a cheer-up-and-feel-comforted meal. I read about this tourtiere a year ago in Bon Appetit. I was completely taken in by the amazing photos of Quebec in winter - beautiful heritage pigs in the snow and delectable, oozing maple syrup - and I tore out the recipe for the tourtiere because I fell in love with the story and the place but not really thinking that I had the discipline to make it - turns out, definitely worth the patience.

The recipe definitely takes a while but isn't actually that difficult, there is just lots of cool/waiting time. So hunker down with a good book and a glass of wine and decide to make this some time. The even better news - the leftovers taste just as good if not better. Happy New Year!

The old Helms Bakery building in Los Angeles

The view from the Grapevine, CA