Open this photo in gallery: lf-grocery-0426 Allison Van Rassel Quebec City-based local food championIllustration by Kat Frick Miller Allison Van Rassel is a passionate foodie and curious eater who has spent years travelling across Canada – and beyond – talking to chefs, farmers and food artisans to better understand what makes Canadian cuisine unique. “Our country has such a rich tapestry of foods and identities, and I’ve always believed that traceability, going back to the roots of food production, is the most efficient and interesting way of telling our food story,” says the Radio-Canada/CBC journalist, who has also produced three television series, Brewing Quebec, A Foodie Guide to Quebec City and The Art of Coffee. Lately, however, she has been sticking closer to home, cooking up a storm in her tiny kitchen in Quebec City, and then posting videos on TikTok of classic Québécois recipes, such as Sucre a la Crème, but with contemporary twists. For instance, instead of using vanilla to make the creamy maple fudge, she uses the essence of sweet clover, which grows everywhere in la belle province. Van Rassel believes that by celebrating centuries-old recipes, in a modern way, she is helping Quebeckers (and herself) get better acquainted with their food heritage. “The industrialization of food has separated us from the human stories behind the food we eat,” says the journalist. “I want to showcase the pure joy and pride I feel when I’m eating ‘real’ food, and by that, I mean dishes that are made with locally sourced ingredients that celebrate the heritage of place. Not ultraprocessed foods that have no cultural roots.” With the Michelin Guide finally making its way to Quebec next month (it will announce its top restaurant picks mid-May), Van Rassel believes Québécois cuisine is at an inflection point. “We highly define ourselves through our language, but we have yet to define ourselves through our food. We must understand our past so we can figure out the future of Quebec food. We are, after all, far more than poutine.” How I save money on groceries: The more you cook, the more you save. I meal prep. I sous vide. I ferment and I freeze. I also have a community garden I belong to in the summer, and I plant herbs on my balcony, which also saves me money. How I splurge on groceries: I love cheese, so I treat myself to Canadian cow cheese from the Magdalen Islands. It’s a semi-soft cheese made from the milk of heritage Canadienne cows. It is exquisite. I’m also a big fan of honey. You should see the number of honey jars in my cupboard. The hardest shopping habit to keep up: When you eat local, and you buy from artisans, you have to place your orders in advance. It’s my responsibility to take an hour, every week, to figure out a meal plan, which isn’t always easy. How I’ve changed my eating habits recently: I moved from the outskirts of Quebec City to downtown. Now I walk to all my favourite stores, I order online from local farmers and I drive to them, too. I have better access to high-quality, traceable food, which helps me eat better, live better and work better. Five items always in my carts Local butter – Natrel - $6.79: It has a high fat content, which is ideal for baking desserts and pastries. When on sale, I always buy two pounds of butter, because I turn one into brown butter that I always have ready in the fridge. You would not believe how good vegetables are with just a dash of brown butter! Milk – Ferme Phylum – $5.90: I only put milk in my coffee so I want the best. This is a 5-per-cent, non-homogenized Jersey cow milk with A2 protein. Cottage Cheese – Beatrice - $4.99: I’ve loved 2-per-cent cottage cheese since I was a child and I cannot live without it. This brand has the best texture and a lower sugar content. Condiment – Herbes salées du Bas-du-Fleuve – $5.99: A blend of herbs and salt, it is traditional to the Lower Saint-Lawrence region where I spent my summers with my grandmother. Ketchup – French’s and the Québécois version Mine de Ketchup – $4.27 and $6.00: I am a big fan of ketchup. I use it in pretty much all of my sauces, instead of sugar and tomato paste. So French’s for cooking and Mine de Ketchup from Padoue, Gaspé, when I want my ketchup to shine, like on pâté chinois!