Holiday cooking

The 2013 Atco Holiday Collection cookbook is now available; 112 pages in an easy-to-use coil-bound format with crisp photography. It just wouldn’t be the holidays without this annual cookbook. The 2013 edition features mouthwatering recipes such as stuffed pork loin with Madeira butter; barley with Brussels sprout leaves, and a luscious-looking cranberry trifle. Also within: nutritional analysis of every recipe, kitchen safety tips and lots of helpful culinary hints. At bookstores and atcoblueflamekitchen.com, $15.

Start monkeying around

Rob Filipchuk (former wine guy, Cristall’s Wine Market) opens the Glass Monkey Gastropub in the former Jack’s Grill space in Lendrum Mall. There are 85 seats with a variety of seating (hardwood tables, banquettes, and a curvy long bar seating 10), an eight-wine Enomatic, six beers on tap, and modern cocktails. “We want to create a casual relaxed atmosphere that promises a fresh restaurant experience,” says Rob. Chef Darcy Radies (formerly Blue Pear) heads up the kitchen, so you know the food will be good. The varied menu wasn’t final at press time but expect small plates, salads, cheese and charcuterie boards, a really good burger, classic desserts. We hope that the fish tacos, sunchokes with mascarpone, lemon and hazelnuts, and the roasted carrots with pickled mushrooms, cumin, and lemon make the final cut. Open 3:30 until late, 5842-111 Street, Lendrum Mall. Reservations available on opentable.com.

Everything is coming up Alice

Alice Eats, A Wonderland Cookbook (subtitled: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll with recipes inspired by the story and characters). Find all the advice (or shall I say riddles?) you would need for creating a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. Created by Calgary-based cookbook author Julie Van Rosendaal and chef and illustrator Pierre Lamielle, Alice eats is a clever, gloriously joyful book filled with whimsy, beautiful to look at and to read to children of all ages, whether fans of Alice and cheshire cats, or just fans of cake (What would an ‘Eat Me’ cake taste like? Find out on page 23). The delightful recipes are each accompanied by helpful illustrations and photos. Alice Eats A Wonderland Cookbook words and pictures by Pierre A. Lamielle and Julie Van Rosendaal, Whitecap, $34.95.

The essential Marcella

You could say that Marcella Hazan brought Italian cooking to North America in the same fashion that Julia Child brought classic French cooking. Marcella didn’t start cooking until she moved to New York City with her husband in 1956, then taught herself using only palate memory (she was born in Emilia Romagna) as a guide. She began offering lessons and opened a cooking school. Several cookbooks followed, filled with scrupulous attention to detail, a reverence for best quality ingredients and, actually, fairly simple recipes, like this tomato sauce: Add a large can of Italian tomatoes to a saucepan with 5 T butter, salt and half an onion. Stir occasionally, breaking up any large bits of tomato. Cook for about 45 minute until thick. Taste, correct seasoning, and discard the onion before tossing with pasta. Serve with freshly grated Parmigiano. Serves 6. Marcella Hazan died September 29 in Florida.

Create a mitten friendly drink and win!

Concoct, brew, mix or mull Edmonton’s first official winter drink. Hot or cold, with or without alcohol, your original recipe could win fabulous prizes, endless acclaim and the gratitude of hundreds! Bonus points for drinks made from local stuff grown around here—things like Alberta grain-based spirits, honey, rhubarb, beets, saskatoon berries, carrots. The competition begins November 14. Visit facebook.com/WinterCityEdmonton for all the details and entry forms. Follow the fun on twitter.com/wintercityyeg. The signature drink competition is part of the city’s new Love of Winter strategy to recast Edmonton as a great winter city, recognized by the Alberta Professional Planners Institute for leadership and innovation. The city’s fresh: Edmonton’s Food and Urban Agriculture Strategy, was also recognized by the Institute. For more information visit: albertaplanners.com.