August 19, 2017 · 5:43 am

An invitation to my 2018 India trip – Delhi, Rajasthan, Agra and Kolkata

The Taj – photo – Karen Anderson

I’ve been fascinated with India and Indian cooking for a very long time. My mentor Noorbanu Nimji and I published A Spicy Touch – Family Favourites from Noorbanu Nimji’s Kitchen in December of 2015 but we’ve done tours and taught Indian cooking together in Calgary since about 2007. In 2011, because I am also founder and owner of Alberta Food Tours, Inc., I was asked to lead tours to India and have been happily doing so since 2012 thanks to my partnership with Indus Travels.

My 2017 trip has been sold out for some time so I’m happy to announce my plans for  India 2018. Click on the link for the full itinerary. The synopsis follows along with some photos from past trips to whet your appetite. Continue reading →

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August 2, 2017 · 7:06 am

Corn Chowder and Buttermilk Biscuits 101 – a cooking lesson with my friend Lisa Neiles

Baking Powder Biscuit recipe on Savour it All blog

We bond with friends for different reasons. With my friend Lisa Neiles, we have several ties that bind us.

We are both Maritimers and we both love to cook. Add in that we have children the same age and husbands that work long hours, and you’ve got a solid friendship – even if we don’t get to see each other as much as we’d like. When we do get together, it is relaxing and fun. We chat about “home”, kids, hubbies, travel and we share recipes and a good meal.

This post brings you along for some corn chowder and biscuit making in the kitchen with two friends. Continue reading →

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July 7, 2017 · 7:48 am

#notinmycity – raising awareness of human trafficking – it’s time to abolish modern day slavery

#notinmycitycampaign to end human slavery and human trafficking mounted by singer Paul Brandt and designer Paul Hardy in Calgary

Tonight, on a perfectly calm and warm summer evening I stood at the confluence of the Elbow and Bow rivers, surrounded by roses, in the garden of Deane House restaurant in Calgary. I sipped an Italian rosé wine and ate halibut cakes, duck arancini, cured salmon and seared ahi tuna. My loving husband of 27 years stood  beside me. Sounds ideal, except for a knot in the pit of my stomach.

Why the knot? Despite, the glorious day and the chance to catch up with a few caring friends, we were actually there to learn more about a grotesque subject – the fact that human slavery which is also know as human trafficking exists in our city and our country.

According to the Criminal Code of Canada, trafficking in persons occurs when “someone recruits, transports, transfers, receives, holds, conceals or harbours a person, or exercises control, direction or influence over the movements of a person for the purpose of exploiting them or facilitating their exploitation (Criminal Code of Canada 2015).

This is modern day slavery. It is time to abolish it but that can only happen if more Canadians become aware that it is happening right here in our cities, our provinces, our blessed country. Tonight Calgarians, Paul Brandt and Paul Hardy launched their #notinmycity campaign to tackle this subject and raise money for both the Sheldon Kennedy Centre for Child Advocacy and the Joy Smith Foundation. Continue reading →

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June 25, 2017 · 7:53 pm

#ArtInstallation no. 25 – The Maritime [Edit] magazine

“If something doesn’t exist, that you want to exist – create it,” says The Maritime Edit magazine editor James Mullinger in the video above.

I’m just back from a quick trip home to New Brunswick to check in on my folks. I picked up the first edition of this magazine at the Saint John airport and devoured it on the Halifax to Calgary leg of my trek back to where I live with my husband and son. The magazine is fresh in that it exists “to celebrate and highlight the discreet luxury of living in Atlantic Canada.”

I love that wording.

The people of the Atlantic are discreet, low key, unpretentious, muted, restrained and intentionally unobtrusive as they go about the luxury of living their lives. Their lives are a luxury because living at a slower pace, in proximity to ocean and earth and connected to family and culture is an antidote to the fast pace world of carpools and commutes, distance and indifference that is existence for most of us.  I’m so happy someone will be celebrating and highlighting this wee corner of Canada. I’ve subscribed.

I’m looking forward to including this quarterly art installation in my life. My Atlantic roots and values help me savour it all.

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June 10, 2017 · 5:14 am

Art Installation #24 – My Top Ten Food Photography Tips

#eatalberta150 Instagram contest by Alberta Food Tours, Inc. - photo by Karen Anderson of Savour It All Blog

This summer Alberta Food Tours, Inc. is involving as many Alberta food lovers as possible in an Instagram contest called #eatalberta150. Why? The goals are to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday and to compile a very visual answer to the question, “what is Alberta’s food story?” Alberta has a number of signature foods and this contest will show the world what a fabulous food travel destination the province is. Every winner also gets a piece of birthday cake in the form of a Crave Cupcake (see above) and great prizes from Alberta food businesses and hotels.

In my work as a food and travel writer, I’ve had the chance to work with a lot of great photographers. In this post I’ll share some food photography tips I’ve picked up over the last decade. Hopefully they will boost your bravado and increase your likelihood of joining in the #eatalberta150 fun.
Continue reading →

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May 23, 2017 · 7:01 am

Enjoy an Edible Escapes weekend in #Chicago this October with my friend Liane Faulder

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The Windy City – photo credit – Karen Anderson

There are some cities you just don’t want to miss and Chicago is one of them. I’ve had the pleasure of travelling there three times in the last two years and so when my friend Liane Faulder said it was top of her bucket list, I designed a great trip for her to lead with my company Alberta Food Tours, Inc.

Read on for all the details Continue reading →

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May 14, 2017 · 10:08 pm

#ArtInstallation No.23 – Frank Gehry’s @FondationLV – The Louis Vuitton Foundation #Paris

Fondation Louis Vuitton - Paris - Savour it All blog by Karen Joy Anderson

Fondation Louis Vuitton – photo credit – Karen Anderson

I’ve got several friends heading to Paris this spring. I won’t make it myself this year but in helping my friends plan their trips, I’ve arrived at my top three recommendations of things to do in Paris.

  1. Enjoy a private art, history and walking tour with Paris Personalized. I’ve done their tour of The Louvre three times and loved it and learned more each time.
  2. Take a cooking class and neighbourhood food tour with my friends Aurelie and Marion at  Succulent Paris. You’ll get to experience a day in the life of real Parisians.
  3. Book with Fat Tire Tours. Their day long bicycle trip to Versailles – with shopping at an organic market and picnicking on the grounds of Versailles – is a wonderful way to explore more.

Otherwise, just get a metro pass and a museum pass and wander. There’s no better city in the world to just walk the streets and get lost for a while. I’m continuously discovering old museums I was unaware of and two years ago I visited the (then) brand spanking new  – Fondation Luis Vuitton (FLV).

Dedicated to the history of art, the museum itself also an art installation. The latest work of Canadian-born architect Frank Gehry it appears as a tall ship sailing through Bois de Boulogne park. I hope you’ll include it in your next visit to Paris. Because I’m such a fan of Gehry’s, the rest of this post is just a collection of photos from my visit.  Continue reading →

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