You’ve heard of nosy neighbours? Well, that’s me. Last month I snooped around Alberta – or more specifically, snacked and sipped – with Judy Schultz and Mary Bailey, editors of The Food Lover’s Trail Guide to Alberta.

Reserving the Italian and East Indian noshing secrets until next time, I'll plunge straight into the pumpkin patch.

Smoky Lake, an hours’ drive northeast of Edmonton, claims to be home to the mother of all pumpkins. For 19 years the Great White Pumpkin Fair and Weigh Off has spiced up October, shaken up the sleepy 1,010 population hamlet with bus loads of tourists and experienced investigative journalists (like us), and waited (like Charlie Brown) for the Great Pumpkin to appear. Uncharacteristically, we were early. A week early. Maybe it was our imagination, but an air of intrigue hung around the 9 foot decoy in Pumpkin Park.

Bonne Nuit Bed and Breakfast, however, was no myth and was all set to welcome weary prairie travellers. Greeted by Berangere Brousseau, she insisted we share a sumptuous Ukrainian evening meal prepared by her daughter, Renee Cherniwchan. Renee runs The Old Fashioned Bread Bakery established by Berangere, a former Quebecer, and her husband, Ernie, prior to realising their dream of owning the town's sole Bed and Breakfast.

Setting out crisp fried chicken, a steaming cornmeal casserole, assorted vegetables and homemade borscht topped with sour cream, Renee explained that her 91-year-old Ukrainian mother-in-law inspired her Fall menu choices. Korvai, the traditional three-tiered ring-shaped bread dotted with bread doves symbolizing the Trinity, life, and family, crowned the brilliantly coloured table setting. Berangere, now recovered from a final round of chemotherapy, beamed with delight as she passed cheese-stuffed pyrohy and encouraged us to dig in to the sour cabbage rolls. Don’t ask me how I saved room for Berangere’s pièce de résistance - pumpkin cake in maple syrup sauce.

To my amazement, after a restful night in a charmingly appointed guest room, I awoke to the welcome smell of Christmas Wifesaver reminding me I was hungry again. How could that be after our evening feast! Another Smoky Lake mystery perhaps?

Following farewells, and a quick visit to the bakery where tourists snap up over 1,000 pies each Pumpkin Festival, we headed off in search...of sausages.

Stawnichy’s Meat Processing in Mundare is a neatly packaged success story. Located in central Alberta, the place’s history is linked to a lofty landmark sausage and a king of kielbasa.

Fifty years ago, Woytko Stawnichy’s smokehouse tucked into his small grocery-cum-confectionary store set the scene for his search for a supreme sausage recipe. By the time his son, Edward, got involved in 1965, the smokehouse was...well...smokin’. By 1979 fame demanded relocation to a full-scale meat processing plant, two smokehouses, and increased staff. Stawnichy sausages were hot menu items, and, thanks to Woytko and Ed, Mundare was on the map.

Expansion has continued unabated right through to the present day. We appreciatively sniffed our way through the current 11,500 square foot quality controlled plant producing precisely 3,300 pounds of sausage every three and a half hours. Growing demand for the company's Ukrainian sausage, Kubbie Patties, European wieners and much more, inspired 'the Boss' (Ed) to show city slicker what they were missing. After a number of moves, the country-controlled Mundare Sausage House is now a firm favourite with city slickers at 11401 - 50 Street, Edmonton.

Under the direction of employee Barb Sisson, we donned protective shoe covers, received a true Cook's Tour on how quality Alberta sausage won its way to the top,, and were left in no doubt that the late, and very much lamented, Ed Stawnichy was revered both professionally, and personally, by his 40 employees. Between witty asides ("In the ten years that I've worked here, business has quadrupled."), Sisson educated us on the individual blending of cherry and white hickory wood chips to produce product perfection. In an almost laboratory-like setting a group of local Mennonite ladies patiently and carefully hand-wrapped Ukrainian sour cabbage rolls in freshly made crepes, while over 18,000 perogies were being produced daily next door by state-of-the-art machines.

Winding up with pepperoni samples, and wistful glances at the retail displays, we hit the road to continue our quest for more gourmet grazing with our over-the-border prairie Alberta neighbours.

If you go: Book well ahead at Bonne Nuit Bed and Breakfast. It is popular with business travellers passing though the area. Tours of Stawnichy's Plant are available Monday to Thursday from 8 am to 1 pm, but the deli is open until 5 pm. For additional details go to Travelalberta.com

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