berry season baking, aligra’s birthday and the culinary lab scales new heights

new digs for the culinary lab, 27th floor Edmonton Tower

Chef David Leeder’s Culinary Lab dinner is now happening on the 27th floor of the Edmonton Tower. What is the Culinary Lab? Top chefs from across the country gather to create a five-course meal with three wine pairings for 150 people. Or, think of it this way, five simultaneous dinner parties for 30 people, twice.

We are sad to say that favourite son Ryan O’Flynn is a scratch, but the talented Garret Martin of Calgary’s Bridgette Bar is subbing in. The other chefs joining David are Christie Peters from Saskatoon; Ned Bell, Vancouver; and Mandel Hitzer from Winnipeg. Two seatings, music till midnight on 27th floor of the Edmonton Tower. TIX, $150/p, Saturday, August 26, davidleeder.com/culinary-lab-series.

Culinary Lab

woo hoo! aligra is having a birthday party

Congratulations to Aligra Wine & Spirits (Entrance 58 WEM, 780-483-1083, http://aligrawineandspirits.com) on their 10th anniversary! Pop by for a glass of wine, some snacks and birthday cake, on Wednesday, July 26, from 4pm-8pm. Enter their Win the Big Birthday Basket contest for the chance to go home with some treats. Read owner Alison Phillip’s reminiscences about 10 years operating a wine shop in the big mall here: http://www.aligrawineandspirits.com

got raspberries? make jam

Reading chef Barbara Lynch’s close-to-the-bone, laugh and cry memoir Out of Line in which she mentions cooking with Christine Ferber. Why does this matter? Mme. Ferber is the jam madame par excellence and it’s now raspberry season. Check out this Martha Stewart video for the recipe and how to: http://www.marthastewart.com/1012758/canning-and-jamming-raspberry-jammov

Raspberries for pie

Or, if your thing runs more to saskatoons, find the Duchess Bakeshop’s recipe for saskatoon pie here: https://thetomato.ca/tomatoquarantwo/recipes/giselle-courteau-bakes-pies

Saskatoons for pie

be a locovore in lacombe, saturday july 30

Lacombe County is home to farmers, ranchers, food producers, breweries, distillers and some fine food and drink purveyors. Come see what all the excitement is about during Locavore Lacombe, 2pm-5pm, Saturday, July 30 at the Lacombe Research and Development Centre. The food research facility will have an open house and offer crop tours at the same time. TIX, $25 in advance, lacombedays.ca.

Localvore Lacombe