Italian Centre, Italian Bakery, Portuguese Bakery, Ammonia Foods, Happy Camel

I have read a great deal about the Mediterranean diet – you may be familiar with the idea as well. If you have ever travelled to any country on the Mediterranean you may understand the interest in eating fresh vegetables, fruits, seafood, oils, wines, and grain products.

Something about that kind of food seems to have the effect of making you healthier, more vivacious, and somehow impeccably beautiful. Is it the food, the people, or the rather wonderful climate that gives these places and their cuisines such flavour, style, colour, and longevity?

Do you remember a bouillabaisse in the south of France? Or some eggplant and frosty white ouzo in Greece? I remember fondly multiple course feasts all over Italy.
In the countries that border that great sea, the Mediterranean, certain products seem to thrive. It cannot be coincidence that civilizations have grown and thrived in that place too.

If you would like to read more about the Mediterranean diet, these are a couple of good reads on the subject:
The Mediterranean Cookbook, Joanna Farrow & Jacqueline Clarke

While you’re at it, stop by the library or your favourite music store and give these a listen. They’ll put you in the mood while you’re cooking and transport your kitchen to another world:
La Traviata
La Boheme

If you are in the mood to take a trip to Italy through the aisles of a grocery store, look no further. Do you want to have your choice of freshly sliced meat and cheese in a just-baked bun? Or maybe you need to know where to pick up off the beaten track ingredients and prepared foods that add that extra something to your Mediterranean diet. Here are some local businesses where you can find what you need.

The shelves are stocked with every shape of pasta imagined, and you may not have realized how many ways tomatoes can be canned and sold. The Italian Centre has much more than just the myriad of dry and packaged goods shipped from suppliers in Italy. There is a wide variety of fresh fruits and veggies from all sorts of interesting and exotic places. Things like green and purple figs, prickly pears, and starfruit.

There are also hidden treasures throughout the store. I found a box of French hazelnut cream chocolate seashells for four dollars. You can choose between black or white truffle infused extra virgin olive oil and watch the little morsels of the precious fungus float along the bottom of the clear glass bottles.

Also on offer are excellent and very affordable meats and cheeses, exceptional balsamic vinegars, artisanal gelato and other frozen curiosities, and rare and exotic fruits and vegetables at a fraction of the cost of the supermarket or the weekend farmer’s market.

Top five things under 5 dollars:

1. fresh figs
2. Juice of some kind?
3. A cheese
4. A meat?
5. Americano from the coffee shop

The Italian Bakery – 10602 97 Street NW
Edmonton, AB
(780) 424-4830 or  (780) 424-4830

If you work downtown, or anywhere in the general vicinity for that matter since it’s quite centrally located, and you don’t already, then you need to know about this place. At lunchtime, there are line-ups to the door for their freshly made sandwiches. Sandwiches range in price from $2 to $5 depending on the bread size and the number of meats and cheeses you want. This is one of the best lunchtime deals you’re likely to find.
Make sure you take a number as soon as you get there, and scoot over to the meat and cheese counters to make your choice fast. The women behind the counter mean business and they won’t look kindly on you if you are a waffler or dilly-dallyer. Each sandwich comes with your choice of mayo, mustard, and veggie spread -some kind of roasted pepper, sundried tomato puree.
Grab a cold San Pellegrino or Orangina and your very fresh and filling meal will run you somewhere between $5-8. Go crazy and share dessert (the cannoli and pastels de nata -Portuguese egg tarts – are incredible) or have an espresso and sit inside looking out through their big street-facing windows. There is lots of parking and if the spots aren’t being coveted by other would-be sandwich eaters, leave the car and walk down the street to Giovanni Caboto Park on 95th Street between 109a and 108a Avenues. There are lots of picnic tables and a playground with a Green Shack park attendant for your kids to play with.

*need pics of sandwiches, cannoli, the girls at the counter??

One more name to keep your eyes peeled for:
Happy Camel – 6404 177 Street NW
Edmonton, AB
(780) 487-7482

Her pitas and dips are sold at the farmer’s markets, Bon Ton Bakery, and at her own location in Collingwood Mall.
The family-owned operation started in 1998, baking pitas one at a time in their basement. They moved to their current location in The Marketplace at Collingwood in 2005 and now supply several markets, shops, and private events all over the city. The Happy Camel sells a variety of white and wholewheat pitas, hummus, baba ghanouj, labaneh (yoghurt cheese), falafel, and red lentil dip (my favourite!).

The pita bread is thick, airy and substantial. They freeze well and could fill in for pizza shells any time.

In fact, most countries that border the Mediterranean have some form of pizza – Turkish pideh, Greek gyros, France has all manner of tarts and pies, Israeli borekas.

Lastly, keep this place in mind for any other bakery or gourmet food need.
Bon Ton Bakery – 720 149 Street NW
Edmonton, AB
(780) 489-7717

A number of the prepared items you will find in many of Mediterranean recipes are available at Bon Ton Bakery. They carry the whole line of Happy Camel dips and breads, as well as various sauces, oil, and marinades from around the world. After taking over a vacant space in the adjoining property, husband and wife owners Hilton and laksjdf Dinner have added a Belgian chocolate counter, a wall of preserves lined with Jam Lady jars in every colour from orange to pink to green. You will also find several other products you are used to finding at the farmer’s market in the summertime.

If you don’t get inspired by any of the ingredients or prepared items at the above-mentioned stores, Bon Ton might be just the place to find something quick, healthy, and home-made tasting.