Ever since reading a New Yorker article about Canada’s greasy spoon favorite, poutine (pronounced “poo-tsin”), I’ve been hankering to get my fingers into a pile. A recent trip to Calgary provided the perfect opportunity. Classic poutine is a heap of french fries loaded with brown gravy and fresh cheese curds. Over the years dozens of variations have emerged, making me feel it’s a not-so-distant cousin of America’s beloved stuffed spud. As for our version below, a poutine pundit would quickly notice that it was loaded with shredded cheese rather than cheese curds. In many circles this is surely a Canadian party foul, but I’m pretty sure we got the gist. I don’t covet either french fries or gravy, but together they managed to create something tasty.