Food and Cooking in Edmonton, AB

If you love to cook, but need a little new inspiration – try taking a trip to one of these neighbourhood groceries for tastes from around the world. This week, treat yourself to a Middle Eastern picnic, Sunday morning dim sum and authentic British teatime. Bon voyage!

Whether you’re planning a simple picnic in the park or a fancy outdoor soiree, the right tools can make or break your picnic party. Not only do you need killer food, you also have to find blankets, games, utensils, and more – plus something to carry it all in. These stores have everything you need to make your next backyard shindig the event of the season.

Much like a fine wine, it took me some time to appreciate, well, wine. My adoration for this fruity beverage only grows stronger as the years go by – and I’m not alone. Drinking wine is cool again, kids. The Edmonton Junior Chamber International and Fine Vines are hosting a networking and wine tasting event, Fine Vines and Great Wines, June 11. If you can't make it to the event, these stores have a fantastic selection of vino.

Minimize your kitchen prep time when you’re rustling up a healthy meal, whether it’s for yourself or a small army. These stores sell the powerful pulverisers that are the best at pureeing, dicing, slicing and juicing without sacrificing too much counter space.

Grocery shopping doesn’t have to be an unpleasant task. Many markets are independently owned, family-run businesses, whose owners really care about ensuring the very best ingredients are available for Edmontonians. Next time you shop, you can feel good about buying organic and supporting local farmers and producers. I also mention some ethnic grocery stores for when you want to spice up your meal plan!

Edmonton is home to some great bakeries that produce delicious, fresh loaves that have renewed my love of breakfast. What’s better than a slice of toast with jam, honey or peanut butter? I’ll let you in on my favourite spreads in the city.

Does your best buddy love food above all else? Do they know the difference between java made from beans ground by hand and lesser cups of coffee? Do they consider chocolate a food group? If so, these stores offer the tastiest and loveliest gifts for your favourite foodie pal.

More and more, people want to know: Where is my food coming from? Farm-to-fork culture is about making more informed choices about what we’re consuming. In Edmonton, it’s becoming easier to interact with local producers and build something that’s been largely missing on the food scene for some time - an authentic relationship with those who have dedicated themselves to providing our communities with local, quality food.

Whether you’re a gourmet chef or can’t boil water but love to indulge in creative meals and fancy foodstuffs, there are plenty of ways to enhance your relationship with food. Outfit your kitchen with superior gadgets and cookware or stock it with gourmet cheeses and meats, artisanal chocolates, and quality oils and vinegars from these specialty shops.

If Aphrodite made love to a cocoa bean, their lovechild would be chocolate. Chocolate can range from generic to the nectar of the gods. These Edmonton chocolatiers offer up exquisite bites of chocolaty goodness that tend towards the latter end of the scale. [Photo of Sweet Lollapalooza Confections]

Cooking at home is inevitably healthier than eating out at restaurants and fast food places – if you know what’s going in the dish, it’s easier to control. But, there are still ways you can make your meals even healthier without sacrificing taste. These stores carry cooking gadgets that make healthy cooking a breeze.

If you’re an espresso aficionado, then you know it all starts with the right beans. So before hand-grinding a fresh batch of beans, and then brewing the perfect cup of caffeine, pick up a bag of perfectly roasted beans from a roaster right here in Edmonton. These coffee geniuses offer the best espresso beans around.