The first thing that comes to mind are those poutine dishes that can been found at local greasy spoons and are the fare of many a truck driver, looking for a high caloric food on a wintry day or a university student into comfort foods on a Saturday night with a micro brewed beer like a Tremblay's on the side. Now the name of the dish sounds like the name of the former Russian president and you could remember it as that way or you can sample some of it by going to restos like Banquise on Rachel near Lafontaine Park in the city.

The base of dish requires tremendously hearty French fries and gravy and then one can add a number of supplements on top. Generally people order the regular dish with curdled cheese sprinkled on top but if you are a hardy eater, you might settle for an Elvis, which has the same base with the added supplement of sautéed green pepper and chunks of hamburger meat. You could add some spices to your taste or bathe the dish in ketchup.

Poutine is considered to be something that Quebec serves at local restaurants especially ones open around the clock that serve simple hassle free meals. It is not the type of dish to find in a French restaurant, which has a dinner menu starting at twenty-five dollars, a dish and it goes for around seven dollars with taxes.

I am sure there are other authentic dishes that appeal to other palates but since this dish fits my budget better than going to restaurant that caters to haut-cuisine, you won't find a mention of that here. If one is interested in traveling to different regions of Quebec like ones near the Atlantic Provinces there is likelihood to find fish meals cooked according to the specifications of a local innkeeper. Gaspé salmon will then be prepared differently from salmon served in another region. Another area, the Lac St. Jean region, is known for its comfort food of meat pie that has the name of the region.

People of region prefer a pie that contains a variety of game like partridge, hare, moose or elk and partridge and is wrapped in a layered pate before being cooked and served. It is a traditional dish that goes back to the hunting traditions of people living in the region and has been substituted for veal, pork and beef in the larger cities where the other game is harder to find. The meat is marinated with thyme, juniper berries, red wine and other ingredients. So the favorite dishes depend on the geography of the region and what wild game is more accessible to the hunter or individual.