I was born into a family that originally hails from the amazing province of Newfoundland, where you will find some of the most intensely kind people you may ever meet, even if you may need a Newfoundland dictionary to understand them.
Newfoundland cuisine is molded by its history and consists of seafood found in its vast ocean shores and meat preserved in saltwater, a practice originally used by sailors, that’s usually cooked in a pot of vegetables and water (a main dish in the traditional Sunday jiggs dinner).
Newfoundlanders usually rely on natural flavours found in their foods to bring taste to their dishes. Living with my Grandmother, a very traditional Newfie cook, meant that most meals were cooked this way, with little in the way of seasoning besides the customary salt, pepper, or garlic powder.
Don’t get me wrong, my Grandmother is a fantastic cook, but as I grew up and my family moved from Yellowknife, NWT, to Grande Prairie, Alberta, I began to develop a natural curiosity of different foods and flavours as more varieties presented themselves as an option.
Naturally, I started to explore cooking on my own, but my exploration into the culinary adventures that my small town of Grande Prairie had to offer didn’t really begin until I met my current partner six years ago.
We met at the local college during my first year when I arrived to class just on time and the seat next to him was the only one available. We bonded over coffee and hot chocolate during break we got during the three hour class.
As we got to know each other, he introduced me to the variety of food Grande Prairie had to offer. He quickly introduced me to his favourite restaurant, a small Thai restaurant called Hong Fah. It was some of the best food I had ever had.
Our explorations continued. From indian food to authentic greek food to japanese food, to the occasional traditionally western steak dinner at The Keg.
Food became a staple in our developing relationship. Over these meals we got to know each other, and when we felt like we had run out of things to talk about, we would somewhat pretentiously over analyze the food. Talking about what flavour combinations we liked, and subtle things we thought could be improved.
Even as we got to know each other more and more, we still learned a lot about each other through our discussions about food, and it continued to bring us closer together as food cemented itself as our strongest common interest.
When we moved to Edmonton to finish our schooling, it was like a whole new world opened up to us, in a few ways, such as
- We suddenly had hundreds of restaurant options to choose from
- We had moved in together, and now had our own kitchen and more control over what we had for meals
- We had access to new markets, such as T&T, meaning we could make a range of new recipes
All of these new options allowed us to explore our love of food, and our relationship, further. One of our first real dates after moving was Taste of Edmonton, which we now go to every year. Our most memorable date was a cooking class we took through Duchess Bake Shop.
Throughout quarantine, we’ve explored this love by trying new recipes. Talking at length about what herbs could be used to make certain dishes better, which dishes need more cheese, and what creative things we can do with our left overs to make sure we actually eat them.
Quarantine also made us realize how we’ve outgrown our apartment, our kitchen specifically. We knew if we wanted to continue to grow and cook and be creative together we needed to expand to a kitchen that could comfortably accommodate us both, and a pantry that is larger than our converted linen closet.
Which is why we decided to buy a house, with a kitchen that can accommodate our shared passions and allow us to grow and explore our relationship further. A kitchen that will continuously allow us to get to know each other as we both change and evolve as we get older. A kitchen that will allow us to continue to fall in love with each other through food.
B&K’s Favourite Edmonton Restaurants
- Izakaya Tomo (Recommendation: Prawn Spring Roll)
- Buco Pizzeria & Vino Bar (Recommendation: Mushroom Ravioli)
- Tzin (Recommendation: Feed Me option)
- Syphay (Recommendation: Matsa-man curry with coconut rice)
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