My parents were British, and I have spent many happy months in England visiting family friends and relatives. I used to enjoy shopping at the Canadian outlets of Marks & Spencer and was very sorry when they closed, so I was delighted to learn that Saskatoon now has its very own British food store. Brit Foods is located in Cumberland Square, in the covered alleyway just down from Safeway. It’s a treasure trove of British food. The owner, Tony Badger, says they try to stock the national brands, so you’ll find soups by Marks & Spencer and Baxter’s, Yorkshire and Typhoo tea, Heinz beans, Rose’s preserves, Thornton’s chocolates, and Walker’s chips. In addition to the food products (primarily packaged although there are pork pies and a few other items in the freezer), there is an entire wall devoted to loose candies. You can also pick up a linen tea towel or an English magazine. There is a second Brit Foods in Parksville on Vancouver Island, but Mr. Badger says that the demog...
I’m a workaholic – just ask my family! And that doesn’t leave much time for cooking. So I was delighted to hear about McKeown’s Ready Made Meals and Catering . Restaurant-quality meals that I can just pull out of the freezer and stick in the oven? Sounds heavenly! Gourmet Shepherd’s Pie There is nothing more reassuring and familiar than [vegetarian] shepherd’s pie. But Mike McKeown takes it up a notch or two on the gourmet scale. There are nuggets of goat cheese nestling in the mashed potato topping and whole chanterelle mushrooms from northern Saskatchewan are a flavourful surprise in the filling. In addition, there’s fresh tomato chutney that is tangy and refreshing. And I paid $16.50 for a two-pound container. It’s good value. Spin Mike is offering both ready-made meals and in-home catering. “I want to make healthy meals that are rustic but upscale,” Mike says. I asked Mike to describe an ideal meal that he would cater, and he described enchanting items like potato and rosemary w...
I feel so at home in southern Spain - the sense of history, the warmth, the narrow streets, the outdoor lifestyle, the flowers, the attention to detail. I hope that my photographs can at least partially share my passion for this wonderful part of the world. History The Mediterranean was the centre of civilization for many, many, many centuries. Tarragona was a political and trade centre during the Roman empire, and there are still traces of it today in the Roman walls and gates, the ampitheatre and other relics. North Americans are infatuated with everything new and shiny - new housing estates, monster homes with four-car garages. The old streets of European cities are not always pretty, but the patina of age is rich in character and history. As I walk the cobblestone streets, I take my place alongside past generations who walked there before me. Current political debates or personal heartbreak are absorbed in something larger than any one person or generation. Outdoor L...
“Slow Food envisions a world in which all people can enjoy food that is good for them, good for those who grow it and good for the planet.” The Opposite of Fast Food When I left for the Slow Food Canada national meeting in Edmonton, I had a vague idea of what slow food was. It was the opposite of fast food – food gulped down rapidly at a drive-through burger joint – food eaten to stop the hunger pangs without giving any thought to what it tasted like or how it was made. But that was a rather negative definition of slow food, and I was wrestling with the idea that promoting slow food made me into a food snob who turned up her nose at people who bought supermarket strawberries or used cake mixes. Good, Clean, Fair Slow Food began to make more sense to me as I listened to the Slow Food leaders from across Canada talk about their work to promote Slow Food. Paolo Di Croce, Secretary General for Slow Food International , emphasized that Slow Food is a political movemen...
Delicious Food that is Good for You and Good for the Earth Wild Fire Bakery’s cheerful exterior is matched by its warm, welcoming interior. There are a few wooden tables and chairs at the front, while a baker is mixing large quantities of bread dough at the back. Two large brick ovens dominate the left hand side of the store. As you would expect from an organic bakery, there is a choice of substantial loaves of bread – everything from rye and multigrain to apricot-anise and garlic-cheddar. But the display cases in front may surprise you. There is a decadent chocolate cake decorated with chocolate flakes and tiny yellow flowers, chocolate mousse shaped like mice with playful chocolate tails, and lemon tarts topped with a mountain of meringue. There is an astonishing assortment of muffins – blueberry ginger, banana hazelnut, carrot millet – and cookies – lavender shortbread, orange hazelnut biscotti, fig and oat. You’ll want to sit down with a cup of tea or coffee before trying to d...
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