Editor's Message

COLD TEMPERATURES, SHORT DAYS, AND LAYERS upon layers of clothing. While winter might seem full of extremes, it’s really a time for balance. The snow, the cold and the early nights slow us down, encourage patience and give us time to appreciate the good things.

Whether you’re warming by the fire or playing outside, this season offers so many opportunities for friendship, family and time together. Food and drink that provide warmth and comfort take on renewed importance, and the New Year brings inspiration for important personal goals.

In this issue of Food for Thought, we provide you with stories, recipes and tips that bring you closer to these priorities. To help you better understand the food you eat, we offer a primer on fats – the good (yes, there is good fat!) and the bad (page 10), and we give you balanced information on what organic and natural foods really mean (page 26).We tell the story of Aliya’s Foods – a company whose success is based on a dedication to family, friends and endless creativity (page 32).We’ll take you on a trip to pastoral comfort with a tour of PaSu Farm (page 8), and we’ll show you how to pack a fireside picnic, plum full of exotic and intriguing Alberta gourmet goodies (page 14).

And just when you think you have enough, we give you more – recipes! In response to overwhelming requests for more recipes using Alberta products, we’re providing you with an eight-page pullout full of scrumptious ideas brimming with savoury winter wellness.

We hope Food for Thought gives you a little reprieve and keeps you inspired through the weeks ahead.We’d love to hear what you think. E-mail your comments to info@growingalberta.com, or simply drop the enclosed response card in the mail – your efforts will qualify you in our draw for a fabulous gift basket of Alberta’s best foods.

Enjoy this season of winter wellness.

Jennifer Fisk, Editor
Food for Thought