By Maureen "Mo" Perry

     On March 9, 2002, USM's Lewiston-Auburn College held its First Annual Tourtière Cook-off. {Soirée de la Franco-Amérique] This event was significant for two reasons.  First of all, my mother won first prize.  Secondly, the event gave my mom--and other tourtiere cooks--long overdue recognition for their skills.
     In that light, I salute my mom and other tourtiere chefs with a poem in the spirit of the verses the ancients used to honor their athletes:*

            Tourtière Champion;
            Master of meat and spice,
            Artist in onions and crust,
            Merci pour la recette!
            Merci pour les tourtières!
            On te salue.
 
 

*"Ode."  The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics.  1993 Ed.