Flavourful Saskatoon, October 19, 2015


Grow Your Own Garlic, Oct. 24 
Pay Dirt Farm is offering a 2-hour garlic seeding workshop for organic gardeners in Nutana, Saskatoon, from 10 am to noon, Oct. 24. You’ll take home all the materials you’ll need to grow a garlic plot in your own backyard.

Fall Fest at Crossmount, Oct. 31 
The Glen at Crossmount is holding a Fall Fest from 1-4 pm, Oct. 31. There will be pumpkin carving, a costume contest, hot apple cider, crafts, and games. Vector Coffee will be there will specialty coffees and steamers for the adults.

Portuguese Wine Tasting, Nov. 7 
Join Francisco Figueira de Chaves of Medeiros Winery on his first visit to Saskatchewan for a wine tasting at Saskatoon Co-op Liquor Store on Nov. 7. Fine Wines Sask is hosting additional events in Regina, Rosetown, Estevan, Moose Jaw, and Wolseley.

Big Night for a Little Park, Nov. 10
The Nutana Community Association is hosting a fundraising dinner at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market on Nov. 10 to raise money to update the Albert Recreational Unit at the corner of Clarence Avenue and 13th Street. Chef Adam Patrick will pair each course with wines and liqueurs.


Taiji Eastern Cuisine 
Sawaddee Bistro on 2nd Avenue closed in September. I’m curious to find out more about the new restaurant, Taiji Eastern Cuisine, that is moving into the space.


Café Noir Espresso 
I picked up a naanwich and soup at Café Noir Espresso on Friday. I love the fact that everything they serve is vegetarian. I really enjoyed the spicy, Indian-flavoured chickpea and tomato soup. They carry macarons from Calories, gluten-free baking from Inside Out Bakery (the lemon shortbread had lots of fruity flavour), as well as their in-house baking (including samosas). It’s a good place for a quick lunch downtown.


Make Farm-Fresh Cheese at Home
Four simple steps for making farm-fresh cheese.

What is Black Garlic? 
If you’ve ever wondered what black garlic is, Lucky Peach provides a comprehensive answer. “Black garlic is what you get when you heat whole garlic cloves at about 60ºC for around forty days in a relatively humid environment. The garlic turns black (or very dark brown) and becomes sweeter and more acidic, pliable, and sticky. It also loses the pungency of fresh garlic, allowing you to use those fruity, roasty, caramelized flavors in places where popping in a whole clove of garlic would be not so nice.” 

How Fair is Fair Trade Wine? 
Unfortunately, according to Palate Press, fair trade wine isn’t a really good idea. “The biggest problem is that wine isn’t like sugar or chocolate or bananas. Most fair trade products are price-driven: quality isn’t much of an issue, so you’re looking for the lowest price….Quality is simply a bigger part of the equation for wine.” In addition, “fair trade isn’t actually helping the worst-off members of Argentina’s wine industry; it’s reinforcing the growing gulf between the poor and the wealthy.”

Flavourful Saskatoon is a weekly Monday feature. I also post regular profiles of culinary entrepreneurs, new restaurants and new food products. 

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