Wanderlust and Words

Foodie news and events in and around Saskatoon – an edible alphabet, German wine, a farmers’ market in Hafford, Chef Jenni Rinnovo, and more Foodshed, May 3 & 10 dee Hobsbawn-Smith and Dave Margoshes will be reading from their newest books on Thursday, May 3, at 7:30 pm at Atlantis Coffee, Regina, and on Thursday, May 10, at 7:30 pm at McNally Robinson in Saskatoon. Foodshed: An Edible Alberta Alphabet by dee Hobsbawn-Smith introduces readers to 75 of Alberta’s farmers and producers, from asparagus growers to zizania cultivators. Hobsbawn-Smith, a chef and slow food advocate, also discusses some of the issues faced by modern farmers. Foodshed is an important addition to the discussion around local food. I am so pleased that dee now lives near Saskatoon and will be lending a hand in establishing a Slow Food convivium in Saskatoon. A Book of Great Worth by Dave Margoshes is a collection of scenes set among the Jewish community of inter-war New York City. Friday Lunc...

Foodie news and events in and around Saskatoon – from cream horns and candied nuts, to perogies, chocolate, and urban agriculture   A Taste of Italy, April 27 Join Mike Stiles, your charming, knowledgeable host at Souleio’s monthly wine tastings, and enjoy a Taste of Italy from 6-9 pm on April 27. Station 20 West Support Station 20 West by purchasing Foodstock Lottery Tickets . They are $20 each, and the top prize is a Chevy Silverado Truck and trailer. Second prize is two plane tickets anywhere in Canada and there are also six hotel and restaurant packages as prizes. The draw will be held on November 2. Great Perogie Challenge Rumour has it that YDC and Three Sisters/Nestor’s Bakery are out to break a Guinness world record this week. If you would like to make or eat perogies, check out the Saskatoon Great Perogie Challenge Facebook page . Food and the City  I highly recommend reading Food and the City by Edmonton author, Jennifer Cockrall-King. Cockrall-King e...

Non-Timber Forest Products – a Rich, Renewable Resource  Elisabeth Poscher and Harold Wudkevich moved to the Nipawin area in 2009. The local economy was struggling, but the region’s natural beauty was stunning, and Elisabeth was sure that if they looked long enough, they would find local employment opportunities. And they did, but not in an office or any other man-made setting. Instead, they spend their days tramping through the nearby provincial forests harvesting the mushrooms, plants, and berries that grow in undiscovered abundance, passing them on to consumers through their brand-new business, Prairie Infusions . Treasure Hunt Elisabeth is originally from Austria. She trained as an Arid Lands Resource Scientist at the University of Arizona, but she soon moved north because she missed the seasons. She worked with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Swift Current for three years before moving to Nipawin. Elisabeth’s science background comes in handy when she is resear...

Foodie news and events in and around Saskatoon – sweet successes, mad city chickens, sommeliers and entrepreneurs  sweetsugarbean Congratulations to Renee Kohlman , aka sweetsugarbean , on being recognized by The National Post as one of Canada’s best food bloggers! City Perks City Perks Coffee Shop on 7th Avenue just keeps getting better and better. Coffee lovers will be happy to hear that they have a new espresso machine – a Rancilio Classe 8. They are serving organic, free trade coffee and hope to soon set aside one day a week when they will feature small roasteries with coffee that isn’t available anywhere else in Saskatoon. They are currently selling packages of Mountain View coffee from Alberta, which is not only TransFair Canada licensed and Rainforest Alliance Certified but bullfrog powered with 100% green electricity. Leven’s Coffee is currently working on an exclusive City Perks blend. City Perks has hired a baker, Lyssa, to help them keep up with the deman...

The Red Fife Community: Marc Loiselle and the Reintroduction of Red Fife  “There are about 200,000 varieties of bread type wheats in the global shopping basket of genetic resources and yet only a few genetic lines of wheat feed the world. . . . We don’t need a test tube to create ‘new’ varieties, only a willingness to explore the diversity that already exists in the world.” (Sharon Rempel)   A Family Farm Marc Loiselle’s ancestors moved from Quebec to southern Manitoba, south of Brandon, at the end of the 19th century. But the land was poor and better suited for grazing, so in 1904, Marc’s great great grandfather headed west to look for better land. Vonda, Saskatchewan, a newly-established community with a church and a school, appeared to offer increased opportunities. The Loiselle family, along with six or seven other families, rented a CN train, loaded all their belongings on board, and moved to Vonda. The Loiselle family settled and became active members of the...

Part One: The History of Canadian Wheat   “History... celebrates the battlefields whereon we meet our death, but scorns to speak of the ploughed whereby we thrive; it knows the names of the king's bastards, but cannot tell us the origin of wheat. That is the way of human folly.” (Jean-Henri Fabre)  Fishermen not Farmers Wheat is one of the cornerstones of the Canadian economy and the Prairie culture. And yet I know next to nothing about it. Fortunately, Stephan Symko has prepared an extensive document on its history, published by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. According to From a single seed: Tracing the Marquis wheat success story in Canada to its roots in the Ukraine , the earliest record of wheat cultivation in Western Canada is connected to the arrival of the Selkirk settlers in 1812. This small group of pioneers arrived from Scotland with the help of Lord Selkirk to colonize the 160,000 square miles of territory granted to him by the Hudson's Bay Company....

Foodie news and events in and around Saskatoon – Pumpkin seeds, gala dinners, craft wine, and food security Facebook I’ve set up a Facebook page for Wanderlust and Words . I hope you'll like it and join the conversation. Cece, Innovation Place Cece (chickpea in Italian) is a new Italian themed eatery in the Concourse at Innovation Place, Saskatoon. The menu includes a daily chickpea soup, salads, panini, and pizza. Spring Market Dinner, April 22 Weczeria is holding a Spring Market Dinner on April 22. Chefs will shop at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market and prepare a 5-course meal. Tickets are $85 (including wine) and are available at Weczeria. Habitat for Humanity Gala Dinner, May 3 Support Habitat for Humanity by attending their Annual Gala Dinner on May 3 at the Delta Bessborough. Enjoy a 5-course meal prepared by Chef Ryan Marquis, a talk by Betty Ann Heggie, and a live auction. Styrian Pumpkin Seeds I’ve complained in the past about only being able t...

Foodie news and events in and around Saskatoon – perogie world record, olive oil scandals, food futures, edible campus  Executive Chef Dinner, April 19 Trevor Robertson, Executive Chef at the Radisson Hotel and the Bronze Medal prize winner in the 2011 Saskatchewan Gold Medal Plates, will be serving a multi-course dinner at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market on April 19. It’s a great opportunity for foodie friends to enjoy and learn some new techniques. Great Perogie Challenge, April 23-30 The Youth Development Corporation (YDC), in partnership with Three Sisters/Nestor’s Bakery hopes to set a world record by making perogies 24 hours a day for one week (April 23-30). They need help – money, donation of materials, labour (perogie pinchers) and customers to buy and eat the perogies. Funds raised will help YDC establish an independent high school. Sign up for the Great Perogie Challenge on Facebook . Pasteurization Course, April 23-24 The Saskatchewan Food Industry Deve...