Thursday, November 1, 2007

Four of Canada's Best New Restaurants are on the Prairies

See, we do have great dining here on the prairies. Two of the ten best new restaurants -- as bestowned by writer Chris Johns and enRoute magazine -- were from Alberta. Congrats to The Trought Dining Co at 725B-9th Street in Canmore on its seventh place finish, and Blink Restaurant and Bar in Calgary on its ninth place finish.

Another two prairie restos made the "Next 20" list: Edmonton's Skinny Legs and Cowgirls at 9008 Jasper Avenue and Winnipeg's Oui Bistro and Wine Bar at 283 Bannatyne Avenue, #100.

To read the whole article in enRoute's annual food issue (November, each year), click on this link for the Top 10, and this link for the Next 20.

And yes, Jennifer is a recurring panelist for this list...but she has no say in what gets picked. That's all Chris Johns.

But let's face it, there are probably other great prairie spots that have opened within the last year that could have been contenders...so tell us about them. Post a comment and start our own prairie-wide list of great new spots for a fine feast.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

October is (almost was!) Read Alberta Magazines month


This year, we were welcomed into the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association. The Alberta Magazine Publishers Association (AMPA) is a non-profit organization of magazine publishers working in Alberta and its supporters. You'll notice that we have the AMPA logo now in our magazine's masthead column. So far, it has been a great group to be associated with and we've learned a lot from the seminars, conferences and communications we've received from them.

In other words, we couldn't let October go by without letting our readers know that October is Read Alberta Magazines month. And since our publication is such a regionally relevant publication, local support is everything to us. Thanks to our local subscribers and readers. If you like our publication, why not check out the other fabulous publications written, produced and published in Alberta. Eat, drink and read locally!

Friday, September 28, 2007

You just can't keep a good cereal down!


In our very first issue of The Edible Prairie Journal, we ran a story about the return of Sunny Boy cereal and flour. The mill in Camrose and the product line had been bought by brothers who grew up near the mill and just couldn't bear to see it vanish into nostalgia. It garnered us a lot of attention because, as we found out, Prairie folks love their Sunny Boy cereal - a mix of flax, wheat and rye grains that cooks up to a thick, hearty porridge.

Well, unfortunately, the mill and brand went up on the auction block yet again, and we didn't know if there was any life left in this brand. Though the previous owners had wisely introduced an certified organic line of the cereal, the flours and pancake mix. Well, an Edmonton company thought that there was indeed life left in Sunny Boy, a product that has now fed at least three generations of Albertans and Saskatchewanians. (Manitoba has its own Red River cereal, though it is no longer locally owned; Smuckers owns the brand.)

It was actually an ex-pat Albertan who now lives in Quebec who sleuthed out the new ownership and informed us that we should start to look for the new packaging, coming to shelves. And this week, a straw-yellow resealable plastic package caught our eye as we cruised the grocery isles. Sunny Boy is back. The same products are back, but in different packaging, and are available in organic and non-organic versions.

Guess you just can keep a good cereal down! Here's the new logo that you can look for in Safeway, Sobey's, Federated Coops, Nutters and a few other local grocery stores. To find a retailer near you, contact the company in Camrose. Their contact info is on the Sunny Boy website.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Eek! Get Eating! Only one week left in Dine Alberta month.


Chef Mark Klaudt of Route 40 Soup Company in Turner Valley, Alberta.

September is a great month here on the Prairies. We are absolutely overwhelmed with fresh produce, market veggies, and the coolish temperatures kick starts our appetites. It's also Dine Alberta month here in ... well, Alberta.

Dine Alberta, for those who don't know, is a month-long promotion where restaurants, cafes and caterers across the province run special menus featuring great ingredients from their region. It's a program that began five years ago, and now includes over 130 Alberta producers and 125 eating establishments from the Crow's Nest Pass to Grande Prairie and beyond. Some are high-end restaurants, some a country cafes and coffee shops. But they all are doing their part to support the incredible and hard-working farmers, ranchers, and food processors in the province. Last year, Dine Alberta participating restaurants purchased $575,000 worth of local ingredients during the program. And 20,000 diners enjoyed these special menus and dishes.


We want to encourage everyone to get out there and Dine Alberta. The participating restaurants are listed on the Dine Alberta web site. It's a great site, with locator maps to all of the participating Dine Alberta restaurants and cafes. It also contains a great Alberta-wide local food sourcing guide, and so much more.
And keep on visiting these places in the months that follow, because 99 percent of chefs in 2006 said that they'll continue to purchase products from the producers they met through Dine Alberta. This just means fresher, tastier, more interesting food for all of us.

Friday, September 7, 2007

Savour Life, A great Website from Regina

Regina-based CJ Katz does a great job covering the Saskatchewan food scene. Her electronic newsletter Savour Life arrives like clockwork in our email basket every Friday afternoon and there are always interesting stories about local ingredients, chefs, recipes and happenings. We encourage you to subscribe to Savour Life and keep up to date with the Prairie food scene.

When she's not our reporting on the food scene in her neck of the woods, CJ also teaches cooking classes, food and wine pairing classes, and appears on CBC radio and CTV. She's tireless! Check out her new blogpage too. We'll add a link to it in our list of favorite Prairie food sites too.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Cityfarm Edmonton

Everytime we look, there is something new and exciting happening in the Prairie food scene. We have just learned about a great new project in Edmonton, called Cityfarm Edmonton. The mission of this farm is to have a place where the urban community can connect with agriculture.

"At the core of resources currently available to Cityfarm is the donated 3.5-acres of land by the Visser family, the owners Riverbend Gardens, a long time market garden business located along the North Saskatchewan river within the rural urban fringe in Horse Hill community. Cityfarm, Riverbend Gardens along with Legacy Lands are in the process of creating a long term land disposition that provides permanent occupancy for Cityfarm while protecting this green space from the development pressure of being located on the edge of one of the fastest growing cities in Canada." -- from CityFarm's web site.

This is definitely on our list of places to check out. The farm is open to the public on special days and there are programs for school-age kids too. Check out the website www.city-farm.org and mark your calendars for the Cityfarm Harvest Festival on September 15th.

Eating Locally Just Got Easier!

Check out this newly updated website by the folks at Dine Alberta. Click here for weekly feature producers and weekly feature chefs; a searchable restaurant directory complete with mapping of locations and driving directions to participating Dine Alberta restaurants; weekly food safety tips for producers, 2007 restaurant menus + More!

What is Dine Alberta?

For the month of September, chefs from all corners of the province are whipping up menus with the best, freshest and tastiest local ingredients. Grab your map and your appetite and eat your way around the province for a true taste of Alberta's regional cuisine.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

The Edible Prairie Journal goes to the Naramata Farmers' Market


The Okanagan Valley is literally crawling with Albertans , Saskatchewanians, and some Manitobans in the summer. I spend a good deal of time there myself, so I decided to set up at the Naramata Farmers' Market last Wednesday.

This is a great little market in the village of Naramata, just 20 minutes north of Penticton. The market runs on Wednesdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. just on the waterfront near the fruit packing plant that the village is built around. Some of the best vendors from the area attend, and there's always a crowd around Joy Road Catering and Dumplingdale Organic Farm. Vendors come from as far north as Kelowna and from as far away as Cawston.

The market is located within walking distance to the Naramata Centre, a bustling hive of activity in the summer as various groups book retreats and programs through the centre. Just as I suspected, loads of Albertans and Saskatchewanians stopped by the booth (where were the Manitobans??). I sold a few issues, a subscription or two and had a great time.


I mean, really, there are worse ways to spend three hours on a sunny afternoon in the Okanagan.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Calgary's Queen of Smoke & Captain Grill Represent Canada at Jack Daniels International BBQ Competition

BBQ enthusiasts can help send Calgary's Queen of Smoke and Captain Grill -- a.k.a. Sharma Cristie and Richard Fafara -- to the 19th Annual Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue just by eating, drinking and having a great time. Buy your tickets now to the fund-raiser and raise some smoke!

Click on the poster for a larger view.

Like BBQ? Canada's oldest BBQ competition, Calgary's Barbecue on the Bow takes place September 1 & 2, 2007.

Check out Calgary's Rockin' Ronnie's BBQ site.

Friday, August 3, 2007

Charro! Our newest retail location and a fab foodie find in Black Diamond

Last Sunday, we headed to Black Diamond, along the Cowboy Trail in Southern Alberta, in the scorching afternoon heat. Why? Because earlier this spring, we received a package in the mail from a woman there, Jill Marsh, who was starting up a very cool new venture she was calling Provenence Traditional Foodways. The tagline was even more intriguing: fire, food, wine, events, travel. All the things we love!

Jill just happens to be the representative for Mugnaini wood-fired ovens (drool!) in Canada. These are beautiful looking Italian-made refractory clay wood-fired ovens. Her daughter, Heath Waller, is an artist who does incredible collage work as well as other hand-made artisan items. While Jill was busy building up interest in Mugnaini ovens, Heath was creating the space from which he oven demos and cooking classes could happen, and the store, called Charro!, was also going to be a boutique with specialty foods and art could be sold. Together this mother-and-daughter duo seemed like exactly the kind of people we love to meet and the fact that Charro! was just so newly opened it was a must-stop, even given our jam-packed road-trip schedule that weekend.

So, heat-stroked and sweaty we rolled into Black Diamond and found our way to Charro! We must have seemed a bit crazy but we immediately started running around the tiny store (it's actually a cleverly redone 288 square-foot space in what was formerly the house's garage!) oohing and aahing over the incredible items assembled there: from lovely dish towels, to art cards, from premium gourmet snacks to jewelry, all tastefully displayed. We were especially impressed with Heath's own collage creations and artisan items.

Of course, we were also fascinated by the ochre-coloured oven occupying a fairly sizeable chunk of the store. We've already agreed that we MUST come back when we have more time and do some serious cooking that that oh-so-lovely oven. When we could sit still enough to listen, Jill and Heath told us their incredible stories of how they lived in a tent in the Australian outback for an entire year (Jill is originally from Sydney) to other various adventures together...finally having them realize their dream of living in Black Diamond and opening a space geared for people who love food, art and travel. The energy was contagious and we spent well over an hour there just getting to know them and asking a zillion questions about the Mugnaini ovens (pronounced Moon-ya-eeny) and looking over the incredibly well-chosen items stocking the shelves.

Jill and Heath were also fans of The Edible Prairie Journal so we left them with current issues as well as some 3-packs from 2005/6 to sell. We're thrilled to have them as a retailer.

And then, as if on cue, local chef Mark Klaudt of Route 40 Soup Company in Turner Valley popped in officially making this a foodie gathering place! (Remember, it's 35 degrees Celsius as we're posing for this photo...so forgive us if we all look a little wilted.)

All we can say is, get in your car and head to Charro! It's 288 square feet of foodie heaven. If you can't get there, or want more information about the store, visit the store's home page
or check out their blog page (which has great photos of Jill and co. assembling the oven) or call them at (403) 933-8862.

Charro! is located at 202-1 Street SW in Black Diamond, Alberta. The space can accommodate groups of up to 10 for either catered or non-catered events or meetings. Next summer, Charro! will conduct DIY oven-building workshops – perfect for enthusiastic weekend chefs!

Charro! store is open Wednesday 11-4, Thursday 11-4, Friday 11-4, and Saturday 12-3. Beginning Aug 14th, fresh wood-fired oven pizzas to-go will be prepared Tuesday 12-1:30, Friday 6:30-8, and Saturday 6:30-8 (while quantities last). On Sundays between 11-1 Jill will host by-appointment oven cooking demonstrations and tastings.

Thursday, August 2, 2007

Two New Calgary-area Retailers for The Edible Prairie Journal...Part One Forage Foods

Wow, we had a great weekend in Calgary. In brief, we're very excited about our two new retail locations for The Edible Prairie Journal. They're both brand new and completely exciting places that everyone needs to know about and visit: Forage Foods in Calgary and Charro! in Black Diamond. Read on for our adventures to both places.

Forage: Farm to Fork Foods to Go


Our big weekend in Calgary started last Friday (almost a week ago!) with a tour of Forage, a brave new foods-to-go commissary in the Marda Loop neighbourhood. It's an extension of chef Wade Sirois' and his business partner Jaclyn Labchuk's (above) philosophy that the best food comes from the amazing array of local products that we have in our backyard. For years, Wade and Jacklyn have been supporting local producers by showcasing the best of the best on their amazing Infuse Catering menus as THE CATERERS in town. Now Calgarians can just whip into Forage on the way home from work and grab an incredible dinner-to-go (specials change daily), a loaf of Forage's incredible bread, a few hand-picked local specialty foods (organic cold-pressed Highwood Crossing canola oil, Edgar Farm's pickled asparagus tips, Chinook Honey honeycomb, etc.), housemade treats (Herbes de Provence crackers, cookies, Gull Valley canned tomato salsa, Gull Valley canned tomato sauce) and some frozen Forage treats (Berkshire Pork potstickers, Cunningham's smoked trout and potato perogies...do we really need to go on?) to stash in the freezer for later. Yes, this is the place where label-reading is encouraged. In fact, we love how the various specialty products all have their "Farm to Forage" food-miles posted right on the signs!

The to-go menu changes weekly, and you can sign up to receive an email of the week's daily specials. The entrees are incredible things like Hoven Farms organic beef, kidney beans, black beans, white beans, onion, garlic, chili spice served with Tres Marias tortillas or grilled chicken Caesar salad made from organic romaine lettuce from Lund’s, grilled Sunworks Farm chicken breast, Forage Caesar dressing, Sylvan Star gouda, crouton made from their signature breads. Yum. And now, Forage also carries The Edible Prairie Journal, both current issues and back-issue-3-packs.

And when we were there, Jaclyn treated us to an incredible housemade raspberry lemonade that was the pure epitome of summer. It was also a lifesaver as the temperature in Calgary that day was a searing 35 degrees Celsius!

Stop in, buy some great food, and grab a copy of The Edible Prairie Journal.




Forage: Farm to Fork, Foods to Go


3508 19th Street SW, Calgary
Phone: 403-269-6551
Note: They are closed Saturday to Monday for the August long weekend!

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

A reader asks...about Leoni-Grana cheese in Alberta

We recently got an email from an Edible Prairie Journal subscriber that might be of interest to everyone. The reader was looking for Leoni-Grana cheese, a wonderful Grana (Parmesan) cheese that was made until recently in Camrose (AB).

We're posting our response:

Sorry about the delay, but we have bad news! Leoni Grana is no longer being produced. She shut down her operation about a year ago. We're not sure what the reason was but it seems that she has moved out to BC.

It seems to be the way these days, specialty producers come and go. Some like Whiskey Creek Tomatoes (we wrote about them just two issues ago -- No. 8) say that consumers are still buying on price, not on taste and quality, and smaller niche producers just can't compete with the bulk import prices. Others just burn out with the fact that they have to be producers, sales people, marketers, accountants and several other jobs all rolled into a 24-hour day.


Another reason to go a bit out of our way to support good quality local products...because if we don't, they'll be gone next time we look.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Activity of the Week: Visit a U-Pick Farm

Here in Central Alberta the saskatoons are ripe, full and wonderful this week. We highly suggest that you put a string through an ice cream pail, coat yourself from head to toe in mosquito repellent and load up on berries.

Head to your "secret spot" or check out a U-pick in your area. There are lots of great U-picks, and heck, some of them even serve saskatoon pie!

Find a U-Pick farm near you at the Alberta Farm Fresh Producers Association's Web site, or by calling 1-800-661-2642.

Please send in links to similar sites for our readers in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. We'll add it to this post.

Happy picking!

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

SIP, a Feast of Fields near Whistler, Slow Food Edmonton's Wild Boar and Beer BBQ and a Banff Culinary Festival

There are no shortage of really great food events happening this summer and into the fall. Here's a listing of just a few that we know about, and think that you'll likely want to know about too!

Edmonton - July 20 to July 27: SIP is a 10-day "wine and food experience" in conjunction with the city's annual "Capital Ex" (the old K-days exhibition). Local culinary celebs like Chef Brad Smoliak, Julie van Rosendaal, Judy Schultz and Neil Herbst of Alley Kat Brewery will be giving demos. The SIP events take place each evening from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.in Hall A at the Agricom, and there's plenty of booze and great food to keep you coming back for each evening's offering. The last day of SIP is Friday, July 27.

Pemberton (BC) August 18: The Fairmont Chateau Whistler invites you for a “roll” in the hay - and many other tasty treats they’ve cooked up. Once again, the Chateau is partnering with the FarmFolk/CityFolk Society to offer the 2nd annual Sea-to-Sky “Feast of Fields” - an interactive harvest festival.

Taking place on Saturday, August 18, 2007 at North Arm Farms in Pemberton - 20 minutes north of Whistler - guests can explore, and sample, some of the finest local, organic offerings from top chefs, vintners, farmers and brewers - right in the farmer’s field. That evening, Fairmont Chateau Whistler Executive Chef, Vincent Stufano, will create an entirely sustainable, masterpiece feast complete with wine pairings for each course. After a full day of fresh air and delicious food, guests can look forward to a full night’s rest at The Fairmont Chateau Whistler.

The Chateau’s “Feast of Fields” package includes entrance to the harvest festival, a 5-course dinner at the farm and one-night accommodation at the luxurious Fairmont Chateau Whistler. “Feast of Fields” starts from CDN $199.00 per person, plus taxes and gratuities, and is based on double occupancy. The package is available exclusively on Saturday, August 18, 2007. Call 1-800-606-8244 for reservations or click www.fairmont.com/whistler.

FarmFolk/CityFolk Society is a non-profit organization that works with food communities toward a local, sustainable food system. Projects include providing access to & protection of foodlands; supporting local, small-scale growers and producers; and educating, communicating and celebrating with local food communities. www.ffcf.bc.ca

Edmonton - September 16: Slow Food Edmonton's annual Wild Boar and Beer BBQ. What has 4 hooves, 200 hungry mouths, and enjoys live music? If you said Slow Food Edmonton’s Wild Boar and Beer BBQ, then you know a great time when you hear one! Tickets for this year’s BBQ, a lavish repast of locally grown organic foods and award-winning microbrewed beer, are now on sale.

The event, which is open to the general public, will be held on Sunday September 16th from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm at Alley Kat Brewery (9929 60th Avenue). With an accent on regionally produced food and drink, including a wild boar prepared by Mayerthorpe’s Hog Wild Specialties, the event will also include tours of Alley Kat’s Brewery and live music by local musicians Terry Morrison and John Gorham.

Tickets are $40 per person for the general public, $35 for Slow Food members; youth 10 and under are $10. Tickets can now be purchased online at www.slowfoodedmonton.ca; memberships may also be purchased through a secure server. Tickets will also be available for purchase in person at Alley Kat Brewery as of August 1st. Further event updates will be available online at www.slowfoodedmonton.ca between now and the event.

Banff - September 28 to 30th: “Eat Local – Change Global” culinary festival is centred on Alberta’s chefs and our fine food producers in Alberta. The festival will be held at Cascade Lodge at Mt. Norquay on the weekend of September 28th -30th, 2007. Some of the highlights of this culinary weekend adventure include:
·Alberta’s Best Chef Competition – a lively competition that challenges Alberta’s top chefs to create a breakfast, lunch, and dinner using Alberta ingredients. (Saturday)
·Culinary classes - walk away with a new appreciation for food, gain valuable knowledge and hands-on techniques. We hope that consumers will go home with lots of ideas, recipes and armed with new knowledge. (Saturday)
·The Marketplace – an outdoor food event that will be held in Banff. The marketplace will allow consumers to learn and connect with producers and vendors and of course to purchase products produced in Alberta. (Sunday) To register or for more info, go to www.CulinaryFestival.ca

Friday, July 20, 2007

The Edible Prairie Journal goes to Millarville Market

Come visit us at the Millarville Farmers' Market on Saturday, July 28th. Route 40 Soup Company has graciously invited us to share their regular market stall. We'll have the current issue for sale, plus back issues, and our famous 3-packs -- an entire year of Edible Prairie Journal's for $15 (these are issues from previous calendar years.)

We hope to see you there.

The market opens at 8:30 a.m. and runs until noon. For directions to the market, visit the Millarville Farmers' Market home page.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Forage Foods now open in Calgary

We're thrilled to bring you breaking news of the opening of Forage Farm to Fork Food to Go in Calgary. Forage is our good friend, chef Wade Sirois' newest venture. He's also the impeccable palate behind Infuse Catering.

Here's the latest news, straight from Forage!

The new Forage shop is going to offer locally focused prepared foods along with local ingredients to help make eating sustainably more convenient. Every day we are going to have a hot entrée ready to go along with some fresh sandwiches and ready to heat foods. We are also going to have our frozen entrées so you can stock up for the times you can’t make it to the shop. You’ll find things like our Wapiti Ways Elk Meatballs in Mushroom Cranberry Cream Sauce and fully cooked Grilled Sunworks Farm Chicken Breast. Along with the entrées we are going to offer things like our new Forage Tomato Sauces and Salsas featuring Gull Valley Greenhouse produce that we are currently developing. You will also be able to get some of our favorite Alberta foods like Highwood Crossing Canola Oil and Chinook Honey. We have built in a small food bar with stools in the front window so you can eat in the shop too.


And today, we got the great news that the official opening day has been set:

We have our final approvals done, the paint is dry and Forage will open this Thursday, July 19th at 4:00 pm.
Every week you will get an email of the daily hot specials along with any other news on what’s cooking.

Here are this weeks specials:

Thursday – Chicken Chorizo Stew
Grilled Sunworks Farm chicken chorizo, peppers, new potatoes, tomatoes
Friday – Berkshire Pork Potstickers
Broek Pork Acres pork dumplings served with asian slaw
Saturday – Honey Chili Chicken Thighs
Sunworks Farm chicken thighs with a Chinook Honey glaze served with roast new potatoes

We will also have a selection of our breads, a roast lamb sandwich, fresh baking, frozen entrees, local ingredients, and Fraser Valley raspberry lemonade to help you cool off! This week we are also launching our new product – Forage Tomato Sauce and Forage Salsa featuring tomatoes from Gull Valley Greenhouses!

Forage Summer Hours are as follows:

Tues 4pm-8pm
Wed 4pm-8pm
Thurs 4pm-8pm
Friday 4pm-8pm
Sat noon-6pm
Closed Sunday and Monday

We look forward to seeing you soon!

forage - farm to fork foods to go
3508 - 19th street sw
ph (403)269-6551
www.foragefoods.com

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Sad news for Fans of Whiskey Creek Tomatoes

Just two issues ago, we brought you new of this fantastic greenhouse we had "discovered" just south of Calgary, Whiskey Creek Greenhouse. Carmen and Greg Ditzler grew the most amazing vine-ripened tomatoes we have ever tasted. But apparently, quality doesn't pay (or get adequately paid, as the explain on their web site goes). The Ditzlers are shutting down operations at the end of this month.

But why? This is the question on everyone's lips who has tasted the incredible tomatoes, sprouts and lettuces from Whiskey Creek. Carmen has posted the family's reasons on their web site and we're posting them here. Even though Alberta has come a long way in the past few years in supporting quality local foods, it is apparent that we still have a ways to go to keep good people like the Ditzlers in business.

Excerpt from www.whiskeycreekgreenhouse.net

The reality (hard as it is to swallow) is that growing great food is not good enough.

Input costs such as natural gas, electricity, fertilizer, biologicals, plastic, cardboard, delivery fuel, insurance, …… have all increased. We are small and do not have the economies of scale of large greenhouses. We have not been able to raise our prices enough to cover our costs.

We have increased our efficiency and production but now can not sell our whole crop.

There are very few grocery stores that are allowed by their own policies, to buy from a local grower.

Cheap, lower quality, imported food is still more attractive to many consumers than higher priced, high quality, local food.

We do not have enough hours in our days to grow our crop and sell all of it directly to customers. There is one local year round Farmer’s Market that we are not allowed into.

We wish to use less fossil fuels in our life and decrease our greenhouse gas output, but we have no more capital to convert to an acceptable energy source.

Monday, June 18, 2007

We couldn't wait...

Welcome to The Edible Prairie Journal's blog.

We're going to be revamping our Web site, www.edibleprairie.ca, in the near, near future. Why? Because we love how the world of blogs have the ability to create a community for people who share similar passions and experiences. For readers of our publication, this is an enthusiasm for the vibrant food culture we have on the Canadian Prairies. After our site upgrade, it will be much more interactive, with on-line forums for discussing recipes, food field trips, source information, etc. We'll also be able to update it very easily, which means that we'll be bringing you lots of up-to-the-minute information of great food finds, newsy items and other tidbits of interest to prairie cooks and foodies.

So that's the plan...but patience is not our strong-suit and we want to start to share what is happening out there in the fields, in the restaurants and cafes and in the home kitchens RIGHT AWAY. So here's our temporary blogspace.

In it, we'll keep you posted on:

-prairie cooking and eating news
-behind the scenes of the articles we are working on for future issues of the magazine
-other great prairie web sites we come across
-cookbook reviews (we get a lot of cookbooks these days...too many to include in our publication, but worthy of mentioning nonetheless)
-Q & A with Edible Prairie Journal's "free range" chef, Brad Smoliak of Brad Smoliak Cooks
-Reader and web visitors questions, comments, recipe requests and anything else we see fit to post

We hope you enjoy this new feature of The Edible Prairie Journal. Happy cooking!

Jennifer and Terry