Mom’s the word

Vino Jelly Gourmet

We were excited to hear of artisan wine jellies from Fort McMurray, and with good reason. Available in three flavours: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Rosé, the jellies are food grade, with less than 0.5 percent alcohol by volume, and all the flavour. They only have four ingredients – wine (of course!), sugar, pectin, and citrus acid, and no preservatives - they’re not going to last long enough in our house to need preserving! Perfect with cheese, meats, and many other dishes. From Italian Centre Shops and Sunterra. 190 mL jars $9-10.

Wild Life Simple Syrup

No bar is complete without Simple Syrup, and now Canmore’s Wild Life Distillery have created their own, just released last month – cocktails at home just got much easier and quicker. In a classic 1:1 ratio, not only is it perfect for your sours, daiquiris, Old Fashioned, and French 75's (so perfect for Mother’s Day!), as a liquid sweetener you can use it in lemonades and iced coffees and tea, as well as in the kitchen for making sorbets, glazing cakes, and in fruit salads. Widely available across Alberta. CSPC +844892 500 mL $15.

Live Life, Love Food

One of the joys of our job is that sometimes samples arrive unexpectedly – and Live Life, Love Food, by Noni Campbell-Horner, is one of the best surprises we’ve received!

It’s a cook’s book, and there are delicious recipes aplenty in each chapter from “Breakfasts and Baking”, through every course of a meal, ending with “Odd and Sods”, but it’s the short stories Campbell-Horner weaves throughout the recipes that are so captivating. We learn about her through 38 endearing stories: life in Vancouver and Edmonton, and many of the recipes are from friends and restaurants there; now on Pender Island, BC, and in Calgary. We laugh with her – “The Famous Stainless Steel Salad Bowl To The Rescue” (p.114) and “Naked Men” (p.128); share her disappointments - “Loss of a Car, Raspberries and Integrity” (p. 184); and our hearts go out to her – “Letting Ty Go” (p.136) and “Collateral Damage” (p.234).

The recipes are simply explained with personal notations too, and often give two, or even three, methods of cooking. Some recipes have quantities, including all the cake recipes (I can’t wait to try “Yummy Cake on p.204), but many are left for you to use your intuition, and might be more suited to a seasoned or adventurous home cook. I loved seeing “a splash” and “a dash” of this or that, and “a blob” or “smash” of butter! Amazon $25 (paperback, black and white), cookbookcooks.com (hardback in colour) $35.

S’mores!

Gooey, Melty, Crunchy Riffs on the Campfire Classic by Dan Whalen. Marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate, fused together by the campfire, via some sort of alchemical magic, become this memory-making culinary treasure. Taking it a step further, Dan Whalen shows us the classic treat with many options, some better suited to the appetizer or hors d’oeuvres crowd. Sadly, someone has already managed to come up with “S’more-d’oeuvres” earlier, but any fan of campfire or fire pit evenings might love this book. Workman Publishing $20

Caramunchies

Completely addictive! Edmonton genius, Alysia Lok, gave up a career in finance to focus on making her Caramunchies, and boy are we glad. She makes small batch soft caramel and drizzles it over cornflakes for sweet and salty, crunchy yet chewy, bites of deliciousness. We love all the flavours, and you can get gift sets to treat your nearest or dearest. 5 percent of the profits go to feed the hungry too. Check caramunchies.com for core and seasonal flavours, to find a store near you, or to buy online. 85 g pack $7-8. Can’t stop, won’t stop!

Celebrate spring!

SWEET & SAVOURY PIES

Kensington - 1081 2nd Avenue NW 403.287.8544 Wildwood - 8 Spruce Centre SW 403.452.3960 Mahogany - 2171 Mahogany Boulevard SE 587.623.1144

@piejunkieyyc | piejunkie.ca

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