My top three gifts for food lovers for @AlbertaatNoon

Today on CBC Radio One’s Alberta at Noon I presented some fun gift ideas for the food lovers on your shopping list. Here’s the podcast for this December column and my discussion with host Frank Rachow. I’m at the 24.48 mark in the show.

Here’s the shortlist of the things I think the food lovers on your list will enjoy as follows:

1. A very special delivery from Alberta Winestein.
Think Albert Einstein level of genius and apply that to the savoire faire of choosing and delivering great food and wine and you’ve got this fun new Alberta company. They work with several wine stores and a few gourmet food shops to put together beautiful gift boxes that can be delivered anywhere in Alberta. Order online by Wednesday and depending on where your gift recipient is in the province their package should arrive by Friday and guess who’ll be looking like a genius then?

2. On Our Table delivers timeless elegance.
This Edmonton company has beautiful made-in-Alberta wooden table ware that is as versatile as it is beautiful. They have a complete online catalogue which is great if you live in Fort MacMurray or Rainbow Lake or even if you have a bone-chilling day in Edmonton or Calgary and you’d like to let your mouse do the shopping from its perch on your lap…top.

3. Cookbook Classics
I stretched my list by having three picks in this category because I love the inspiration that comes from great cookbooks and its just so hard for me to narrow down the field.
#1 – Alice Eats – My Alberta pick.
#2 – The Butcher, The Baker, The Wine and Cheese maker – An Okanagan Cookbook – My Canadian pick.
#3 – Jerusalem – A Cookbook – My International pick and hey, the authors say that it could be the sharing of the holy city’s food that could be the one true thing that might lead to peace in that area. Isn’t that a timely wish for the holiday season? Make the recipes and you’ll see it could be possible.

I also gave two D-I-Y gifts you can make if you have the time and inclination.

If you are short on time, shop on from the list above or for even more inspiration take a look at my recent Cool Things #15 – “Unwrap This” post.

Of course, this is the time of year we count our blessings and remember those less fortunate. Kudos to the authors of Alice Eats, Pierre Lamielle and Julie Van Rosendaal who along with long-time CBC Calgary restaurant reviewer, John Gilchrist, are donating a share of their profits from their respective recent publications to the CBC Calgary Suncor Energy Food Bank Drive all this month.

Here’s some fast facts from the Calgary Food Bank as follows:
$1 = $5
every $1 dollar donated = $5 dollars worth of food distributed.
7,569,375 kilograms
of food shared with people last year.
129,948 families and individuals used the food bank last year.
73,505
the number of food hampers distributed last year.

The goal is to raise 1 million dollars by December 24. You can drop by the CBC to visit with the Food Bank volunteers and drop off a cheque or non-perishable food donation or you can donate here.

Blessings to you and yours this holiday season from me and mine. Take this time to Savour it All.