Wanderlust and Words

What do you do if you’re ready for a career change? If you’re Paola Chiste, who grew up in an Italian family and has a passion for all things Italian, you start making and selling gelato. Beppi’s Gelato opened on May 28, 2019, just off Broadway, and is already a go-to destination. The store is named after Paola’s grandfather. “He was wonderful,” Paola says, “placid, kind, wise despite a lack of education, a hard worker, and he loved sweets.” What is Gelato?  Gelato is served at a warmer temperature (12°) than ice cream. Whereas ice cream relies on sugar to bring out the flavour, that’s not necessary with gelato as the flavours are stronger at a higher temperature. It’s also more malleable, so it’s served with a spatula. The ingredients tend to be more natural in gelato, and it’s much denser than ice cream. Cheap ice cream will contain as much air as ice cream, whereas there is only 18-20% air in gelato. Gelato cones are long and narrow. Flavours  One of P...

Local Happenings  I’m looking forward to trying out Beppi’s Gelato , opening Tuesday, May 28, at #1 – 616 10th Street East. The owner, Paola Chiste, studied at Carpigiani Gelato University in Bologna, Italy. The gelato will be made in small batches using local ingredients as much as possible. Gelato cups and spoons will be biodegradable and there’s an additional charge for take-away cups. Locals Only is a partnership between AKA Artist Run and CHEP Good Food Inc. For nearly two years Elders, knowledge-keepers, youth, artists, and food activists shared conversations, meals, and ideas for engaging on issues of food security and changing neighbourhoods. They’re launching the culminating publication, a project archive, recipe collection, and proposition for continued dialogue and action from 1-4 pm , June 1 . Chef Simon will be offering cooking classes at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market. The first class is from 12-2 pm , June 2 , and will be an Italian menu using Farmers’ M...

Pumpkin Fest, Sept. 15 & 16  Black Fox Farm & Distillery is hosting a Pumpkin Fest on Sept. 15 and 16 with lots of activities for kids. Breakfast Blitz, Sept. 16  Frisk Market is holding a pop-up vegan breakfast from 9 am to noon , Sept. 16. New Canadian Farmers, Oct. 12 If you’ve been enjoying tulips, eggplants, peppers, and other delicious vegetables from Kaleidoscope Gardens for the last 7 years, I hope you’ll join me on Friday morning, October 12, at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market when Jennifer and Adi become Canadian citizens. Thank you, Jennifer and Adi, for all you contribute to the Market and to our supply of healthy local food. We’re so glad you decided to live in Saskatchewan. Food Not Bombs  Food Not Bombs serves up solidarity, not charity, at its first freestanding event in Saskatoon. They welcome additional volunteers. Urban Cellars I visited Urban Cellars , a private liquor store at the corner of 8th & McKercher, last week ...

AppleFest, Aug. 18  Petrofka Orchard is hosting an AppleFest on Aug. 18 with food, music, a pie eating contest, and activities for kids. Beer Makes You Smarter, Aug. 21 Bill Roe will muse on his time as a defence counsel at 7:30 pm , Aug. 21, at 9 Mile Legacy Tap Room. Ladies that Beer - YXE, Aug. 23  Join a pay-it-forward group of beer-loving ladies at the first Ladies that Beer meet up , at 7 pm , Aug. 23, at Prairie Sun Brewery. Ice Cream & Donuts  If you’re in the mood for something sweet and delicious, head up to Avenue H and pick up some treats from Fable Ice Cream and Darkside Donuts . The line-ups went round the block when The Night Oven Bakery sold doughnuts, so Bryn Rawlyk decided to open a separate store just for doughnuts. Darkside will have some regular flavours, but they also plan to push the limits and try out some “super weird stuff” . Making Death Part of Life A no-tech philosophy of fermentation: “Modern life makes fermentation uni...

Question: What’s the best way to explore an area of London and satisfy your sweet tooth?  Answer: Sign up for a tour with Lynne Staartjes of Sweet Tooth Tours !  Lynne is a Cordon Bleu-trained baker who loves interacting with people, so she decided to establish Sweet Tooth Tours in July of last year to share some of her favorite food businesses in her home neighbourhood of Belgravia, London. The tour groups are always small, but I was extremely fortunate to receive a personal tour as the other participants had had to cancel due to illness. Belgravia is a pretty neighbourhood with tall white stucco townhouses mingling with a variety of small, independent stores and restaurants. We started our tour at R Chocolates , founded by Sir Evelyn de Rothschild, a self-confessed chocoholic, in 1931. A quiet, elegant store, this would be a great place for afternoon tea or a box of chocolates. The hot chocolate is absolutely delicious – chocolate flakes and roasted and g...

Prairie Harvest Café I was sad to learn that Prairie Harvest Café has closed its doors. It’s been one of my favorite Saskatoon restaurants since day one, and I really appreciated the fact that the chefs focused on cooking with local ingredients, many supplied by the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market. All the best of luck in your new adventures. We’ll miss you. Hug a Farmer This has been a tough summer for many farmers. Prairie Sun Orchard lost their entire cherry crop to insects. Drop by their stand at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market, tell them you care, and have an ice cream. My favorite is the chocolate cherry fudge, but Clare Pearson, the principal ice cream maker, says her new favorite is the salted caramel. Peppers If you’re like me, you assume that all small, skinny peppers are super hot and avoid them like the plague. But that’s a big mistake. Kaleidoscope Vegetable Gardens is offering two long, skinny peppers – one can be hot, but the other isn’t. Padron chile pepper...

Fan Tan Alley is a narrow gap between buildings in Victoria’s Chinatown. Formerly the site of opium factories and gambling dens, it’s now home to a variety of small artisan stores, including some wonderful food producers. The owner of La Tana Italian Bakery says he wants “people in Victoria to taste baked good as they will experience going to Italy. I am happy to use certified organic flours and local suppliers for the majority of my ingredients.” My ciabatta sandwich was stuffed with goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, basil, capers, and olive oil and was really good. I’ll go back another day to stock up on the mushroom turnovers, Nutella brioches, and Italian cookies. Dessert was Salted Caramel and Sour Cherry & Crème Fraîche ice cream from Kid Sister Ice Cream . Both flavours were wonderful. They make small batches of ice cream and paletas from scratch. Last but not least, I picked up some treats to bring home from Pure Lovin’ Chocolate . They use organic, fai...

Earth Bound Bakery Changes Hands Oh, Trent. You brought great organic bread and pastries to Saskatoon. Thank you – and have fun in your new adventures! Venn Coffee  There’s a new coffee shop just off Broadway. The door and patio for Venn Coffee (803 Dufferin Avenue) are in the alley between Amigos and Bike Doctor. They’re serving Scandinavian-inspired pastries researched and executed by Night Oven Bakery . New in Saskatoon  Here are some more new places that sound like they’d be worth checking out. Lynn’s Road Petals ‘n Edibles is selling locally grown flowers at the Ideas Inc. market around the corner from the Saskatoon Farmers' Market. Hometown Diner on 20th Street is serving all-day breakfast and lunch. There are some new ice cream places as well – Fable Ice Cream on Avenue H and The Wholesome Roll (check out their alcohol-spiked ice cream at Silver’s Local Market ). Designing Dignity in Food Banks  The Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank “was fo...

A friend and I took a road trip out to Osler this week to visit FG Market Ltd . It’s a big, brand-new store stocking a wide range of fresh, frozen, and canned foods; wine and spirits; baked goods; beauty products; and candy. They specialize in local food so we found fruit wines, liqueurs, and spirits from all corners of the province as well as Koko Patisserie baked goods from Regina, home baking, and lots of home-canned jams and pickles. There’s a really large selection of flavoured oils and vinegars, a large freezer full of meat products, and lots of Homestead ice cream. The market offers a daily lunch special, but if you’re vegetarian you may want to head for the ice cream sandwiches (very tasty!). FG Market is definitely worth a visit. There’s lots to choose from and many products that I haven’t seen anywhere else.

Christie's Il Secondo Bakery Urban Beekeeping, June 11  Learn how to keep bees in an urban setting at a one-day workshop with Barry Brown on June 11. Nice Cream Class, June 12 Intuitive Path Superfoods is offering a class on how to make vegan ice cream and choose superfood toppings at 3:30 pm , June 12. More Space at Il Secondo  Christie’s Il Secondo Bakery just off Broadway has expanded – lots of space and lots of light. If you’re planning a curry dinner, you might want to pick up some of their wood-fire oven naan bread. New Brunch Menu at Nosh  Nosh Eatery & Tap has a new brunch menu with everything from Wild Rice Croquettes and South Asian Benny to Chocolate Chia Bowl and Orange Almond & Ricotta Pancakes. For the anti-brunch crowd, there’s a Samosa Sandwich and Roasted Beet Dip. Lemon Raspberry Ice Cream Fans of raspberry lemonade are sure to enjoy Prairie Sun Orchard ’s new summer ice cream flavour – Lemon Raspberry. Yet one more reason t...

Summer and ice cream are a perfect match. And, if you’re going to splurge, make sure that you are eating the very best ice cream possible. I had three really great ice cream experiences in Victoria this past summer. Be sure to check them out the next time you’re on Vancouver Island. Cold Comfort  Cold Comfort makes small batch, seasonally inspired ice cream. They use mostly organic ingredients, along with local fruits and herbs. There is no shortage of unexpected flavours as Cold Comfort has created over 340 different varieties, including Rosewater & Raspberry and Rosemary & Sour Cherry. My absolute favourite was the East is East non-dairy sandwich bar. Sandwiched between thin layers of dacquoise is a rich mix of coconut milk, organic cane sugar, tamarind and cardamom. Kid Sister  Kid Sister originally sold paletas, Latin American fruit popsicles. They’ve expanded their menu to include a variety of ice cream bars and frozen yogurt. The milk and yog...