Anna & Kristina's Grocery Bag facts for kids

Anna & Kristina's Grocery Bag
Title card of programme.
Genre	Infotainment, Cooking show
Created by	Anna Wallner Kristina Matisic
Developed by	Anna Wallner Kristina Matisic
Directed by	Nicholas Treeshin Erin Redden Jennifer Little Michael Margolis Jordan Kawchuk
Creative director(s)	Lionel Goddard
Presented by	Anna Wallner Kristina Matisic
Theme music composer	Graeme Coleman
Country of origin	Canada
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	4
No. of episodes	78 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Anna Wallner Kristina Matisic
Producer(s)	Joyce Sawa Heather Hawthorn-Doyle
Production location(s)	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Cinematography	Carl Alcock
Editor(s)	Robert Lawrenson Erin Parks Jennifer Lee Michael Ellis Jessica McKee
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	30 minutes (including commercials)
Production company(s)	Worldwide Bag Media, Inc.
Distributor	Picture Box Distribution
Release
Original network	W Network (seasons 1-3) OWN (Canada) (season 4)
Picture format	HDTV 1080i
Audio format	Stereo
Original release	September 8, 2008 (2008-09-08) – May 1, 2013 (2013-05-01)
Chronology
Preceded by	The Shopping Bags
Followed by	Anna & Kristina's Beauty Call

Anna & Kristina's Grocery Bag was a fun Canadian TV show that aired in Canada and many other countries. It was created by Anna Wallner and Kristina Matisic. This show was all about food and cooking! Anna and Kristina would test out different cookbooks, kitchen tools, and ingredients to see if they were worth buying.

Testing Cookbooks and Kitchen Gear

Each episode of Anna & Kristina's Grocery Bag focused on one cookbook. Anna and Kristina would pick several recipes from the book, usually enough to make a whole meal, like an appetizer, main course, and dessert. They had to follow the cookbook's instructions exactly.

The Cooking Challenge

The hosts would cook against a strict time limit. This time limit ended when a special guest chef arrived on set. The time they had was based on how long the cookbook said the recipes would take to prepare and cook.

Buy or Pass?

At the end of each episode, Anna and Kristina would decide if the cookbook was a "Buy" or a "Pass." This depended on whether they felt the book kept its promises. If both hosts gave the book a "Buy," it earned the special "A&K Stamp of Approval."

Testing Kitchen Products

Throughout the show, Anna and Kristina also tested different kitchen gadgets and food items. They would compare different brands or types of products. These tests often related to the ingredients or tools they were using for the main cookbook challenge.

Chef Tips and Tricks

The episodes also included interviews with the guest chefs. These chefs would share their best cooking tips and tricks with the audience.

Episodes and Results

Show Seasons Overview

The show had four exciting seasons, with many episodes in each.

Cookbooks with the "A&K Stamp of Approval"

Here is a list of cookbooks that both Anna and Kristina gave a "Buy" rating to. This means they earned the official "A&K Stamp of Approval."

A Cookbook Controversy

In 2010, an episode about the cookbook "Three Sisters Around the Greek Table" aired. Anna gave it a "Pass," while Kristina gave it a "Buy," leading to a "Split Decision."

Authors' Concerns

The authors of the cookbook, Betty, Eleni, and Samantha Bakopoulos, later wrote a blog post. They felt their cookbook was not shown fairly on the TV show. They thought Anna and Kristina made mistakes because they lacked cooking knowledge. They also questioned the show's time limits and the "A&K Stamp of Approval." The authors believed the episode was made to be entertaining, but it gave their cookbook a negative image.

Anna and Kristina's Response

Anna and Kristina responded on the show's Facebook page. They explained that their decision was based on many months of testing by different people, not just what happened on the show. They said that any cooking mistakes shown were for entertainment, but they didn't affect the final judgment of the cookbook. They also mentioned that some steps were edited out of the show due to time, but they were done during the actual cooking. The Bakopoulos sisters later removed their original blog post.

Awards and Nominations

Anna & Kristina's Grocery Bag was recognized for its quality. It received several nominations and awards for its hosts, direction, and cinematography.

How the Show Was Made and Shared

The show started in 2008. It was filmed and produced in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The company that made it was Worldwide Bag Media Inc. Picture Box Distribution helped share the show with audiences.

Spreading the Show

In 2010, Picture Box Distribution made a deal with OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. This meant the first three seasons of the show would be shown in the United States.

Season 4 began filming in April 2012 and premiered on September 4, 2012. For this season, the show moved from the W Network to its sister channel, Oprah Winfrey Network (Canada).

Where the Show Aired Around the World

Anna & Kristina's Grocery Bag was popular in many countries. Here's where it was shown:

International syndication

Country / Region	Name	Television Network	Dubbing / Subtitles
Canada (Quebec)	Anna & Kristina : recettes à l'essai (English: Anna & Kristina: Test Recipes)	Zeste	French dubbing
Finland	Annan ja Kristinan koekeittiö (English: Anna & Kristina's Test Kitchen)	MTV3	Finnish dubbing
Hong Kong	Anna & Kristina's Grocery Bag	Li TV	English
Hungary	A jó szakácskönyv receptje (English: A Good Cookbook Recipe)	TV Paprika	Hungarian dubbing
Indonesia	Anna & Kristina's Grocery Bag	Li TV	English
Israel	Anna & Kristina's Grocery Bag	Ananey - Israeli Food Channel	English
Italy		Beep Omnimedia
Malaysia	Anna & Kristina's Grocery Bag	Li TV	English
Poland		Canal+ Poland	Polish subtitles
Singapore	Anna & Kristina's Grocery Bag	Li TV	English
United States	Anna & Kristina's Grocery Bag	OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network	English
Vietnam	Cẩm nang nội trợ (English: Guide of Housewives)	K+PC	Vietnamese dubbing