Wanderlust and Words

Aging  “Me first, I’m older” was an unexpected perk when they started rolling out the Covid vaccine. Age hopefully brings wisdom, but it also brings aches and pains, grey hair, and age spots so I particularly enjoyed this poem from Home Body by Rupi Kaur .  “give me laugh lines and wrinkles  i want proof of the jokes we shared  engrave the lines into my face like  the roots of a tree that grow deeper  with each passing year  i want sunspots as souvenirs  for the beaches we laid on  i want to look like i was  never afraid to let the world  take me by the hand  and show me what it’s made of  i want to leave this place knowing  i did something with my body  other than trying to  make it look perfect”  Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder “Gardeners in Singapore are dazzled by the dandelion and desperate to get hold of its seed s.”  Monique Martin is exhibiting her hand-made dandelions in Saskatoon. S...

“In Just-spring when the world is mud-luscious the little lame balloonman whistles far and wee and eddieandbill come running from marbles and piracies and it’s spring when the world is puddle-wonderful” – e e cummings   A Taste of Spring  What food symbolizes spring for you? For me, it’s probably fresh, locally-grown spinach (and rhubarb). By winter’s end, I’ve had my fill of root vegetables (I do try to eat local) and am longing for greens. But in other parts of the world, spring may be something else entirely – mangoes in Mexico City , kumquats in Greece , or fresh goat cheese in Provence (Oh, yes, please!). And each of these foods has a history and a story to tell that surely influences its flavour.  Another early spring crop is radishes, but they’ve never been one of my favorites. I’m planning to try the roasted radish lemony chickpea pasta in this set of 12 unusual radish recipes , but I’m not so sure about the cinnamon ice cream topped with radishes.  Creativi...

“The mind is like an umbrella – it functions best when open.” – Walter Gropius   Local News    There’ll be an old-time outdoor dance at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market from 12-2 pm , Feb. 13 and 20 .  Longing for bagels and cream cheese? Check out The Bagel Shop at 200 Avenue B South (old location of Little Bird Patisserie). I’ve heard it’s owned by the group that also operates Congress Beerhouse and a few other Saskatoon restaurants. It may be winter, but Our Farm is still providing Saskatoon with fresh, organic greens. You can pick up their microgreens at Dad’s Organic Market or enjoy during a meal at Calories or Citizen Café.  I was so sorry to hear that Collective Coffee ’s last day of business will be Feb. 28, 10 years after they opened in 2011.  It’s winter, we’re in the midst of a pandemic, and there are so many hungry people in Saskatoon. I donate on a regular basis to both the Saskatoon Food Bank and Food Not Bombs Saskatoon . Here are some ot...

“The potato’s dual status as a tool of the modern state and as an emblem of the historical agency of ordinary people”  Feeding the People: The Politics of the Potato by Rebecca Earle presents an overview of the history of the potato. But it does far more than that. Earle's analysis of the role politicians and economists play in directing our dietary choices applies today and to all our food options, not just the potato. It’s a complicated topic. On the one hand, we don’t like government telling us what to eat. There was outrage when the mayor of New York tried to ban the sale of extra-large soft drinks . On the other hand, we do want government to make sure our food is safe to eat (checking for and recalling products contaminated by listeria , for example). The interplay between politics, economics, and diet becomes even more complicated when examined from a historical perspective.  “Potatoes . . . are something like Spanish truffles, aside from being a bit bigger and not as ...

“Many people say they enjoy the winter, but what they really enjoy is feeling proof against it. ”   (Richard Adams)  Shop Local  We all know that independent businesses are suffering during Covid. So shop local this Christmas – please! And for those people on your gift list who have everything, consider edibles – we have so many great local producers.  A couple of weeks ago I posted an article about a coffee delivery company in Alberta and wondered if that would be a useful service in Saskatoon. Well, thanks to Daryl Grunau , barista at Sparrow Coffee , I now know that that is a lousy idea as it will take business away from coffee shops such as Sparrow, City Perks, Venn, Collective Coffee, and Underground that sell excellent coffee, either roasted themselves or carefully selected and imported. If we want our local coffee shops  to still be around after the pandemic, they need our support now. If you don’t know what to choose, the local baristas will be happy to ...

Local News  The Saskatchewan Environmental Society will be celebrating its 50th anniversary with a riverside picnic from 12:30-2 pm , Aug. 30 . Registration is required as participation is limited to 30 people. Buy pasta, gnocchi, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and sodas – straight from Italy – at Beppi’s Gelato . I was sorry to learn that Little Bird Pâtisserie has closed its doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. What a shame! It is so important, now more than ever, to support small local businesses. There are a thousand reasons why you should shop and eat local, but one of the best is making new friends.  Padrón Pepper Roulette   I’ve been enjoying padrón peppers (quick fried until they blister) from Kaleidoscope Vegetable Gardens . But you have to be prepared to take a risk, because “unos pican otros no” or “some are hot, some are not . ” The spicy ones are in the minority, but it certainly wakes you up to what you’re eating when you bite into one of t...

Local News  Dad’s Organic Market is now selling products from Victoria, BC’s The Very Good Butchers . I enjoy their products whenever I’m in Victoria and am glad they’re now available in Saskatoon. The next time you’re at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market on Koyl Avenue , be sure to head for the rear of the hall near the exit. Tasty Habits sells rich, flavourful, addictive chocolate! I highly recommend the milk chocolate with nuts, but you can also choose dark chocolate and various other flavours. The chocolate bars are made by Rania Khiralla, a participant in the Saskatoon Open Door Society’s Women’s Business Hub , a program to help entrepreneurial immigrant women get their businesses off the ground. I also recommend the individual cheesecakes from Donna's Delectable Mini-Cheesecakes , also at the Saskatoon Farmers' Market. The Black Forest cheesecake is a personal favorite. Gluten-free versions are also available. Enjoy a picnic in the Bessborough Gardens every Fr...

Local News  The Saskatoon Farmers’ Market Co-operative is extending its hours and its operations. Starting June 14, they will be open on Sundays from 10 am-3 pm in addition to the Saturday markets. Sundays will also be the pick-up and delivery day for their newly reopened virtual market , which will be open for orders on Tuesdays at noon. Empathy in Diversity  This has been a week of protest and outrage and the food world is certainly not exempt from ignoring and stigmatizing large segments of our population. Here are a few articles that stimulated my thinking around food and race. The pandemic has shown us the shortcomings of our food system and a glimpse of the “invisible” people who supply us with food. “ The people who risk their lives to feed us deserve better . . . . Recognizing our shared humanity is the first step. . . . Empathy, Mittal says, must be expressed across a continuum. ‘Starting within families, as we discover new foods and cook from scratch, a...

Local News The Hollows is closing and the historic Golden Dragon building will be torn down in the fall. The Hollows co-owner Christie Peters shares some of her memories . Kaleidoscope Vegetable Gardens expects to have fresh spinach for sale this coming weekend. I can hardly wait! I am so grateful that the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market Co-operative went online so we can still get fresh produce. North Americans normally spend over 50% of their food dollars eating out. So when all the restaurants and coffee shops are forced to close, it has a major impact on all parts of the food chain. Small local businesses are struggling to pay the rent and all their other monthly bills. They’re innovating to the best of their ability with takeout and delivery options, but as Tony Naylor says on Twitter , “You know that restaurant/ bar/ brewery/ bottle shop near you which has started delivery? They’ve not done it for fun, like this is an episode of the Apprentice. They’re not making top dollar. ...

Local News  If the lingering snow and cold is making you long for summer, be sure to follow Robyn at Toon Town Tomatoes  and start growing your own tomatoes. Learn to brew beer at home with Garrett Pederson, head brewer and co-founder of 9 Mile Legacy. The virtual class will use a Kolsch kit from Paddock Wood Brewing, modifying it with the addition of specialty grains and a variety of hops to transform it into a summery New England IPA. Sandra Walker, author of The Path to Wild Food: Edible Plants and Recipes for Canada , is sharing some of her recipes on Wild About Saskatoon’s Facebook page . First up is Cattail Pollen Biscuits . Jenn Sharp has put together a list of small local food businesses , many of which offer pick-up or delivery. A more comprehensive list of food resources in Saskatoon during Covid is available here. Regina’s Merawine is now producing the Vincompétant podcast . They’ll be talking about wine and food and the restaurant industry. Give ...

Local News  The Food Centre is hosting a free teleconference on finding your place in the marketplace by knowing your product and your customer from 1-2:30 pm , Apr. 14 . Kaleidoscope Vegetable Gardens is offering weekly deliveries of fresh vegetables on a month-by-month basis. The May box is expected to include spinach, radishes, green onions, Hakurei turnips, beet greens, beets, and pea shoots. Selection will vary from week to week and may be affected by weather. Almost half the delivery boxes are already spoken for, so put in your order now . The Night Oven Bakery has hot cross buns on their online order form . Plus flour, coffee, pains au chocolat, croissants – yum! My sister in law and I ordered takeout from Chef de Partie Catering this past week. We can highly recommend the lentil terrine served on a bed of sweet potato mash, the kale slaw (lots of red and green pepper slices for crunch and dried cranberries for sweetness), the dill pickle pasta salad, the m...

“Spread kindness and optimism. It’s needed more than ever now.”  Local Happenings  The Fair Trade event scheduled for March 21 has been postponed. We’re All in This Together Hey! I'm heading home and will be in Saskatoon on Friday. I expect spring (and maybe the pelicans) to arrive while I'm in self-isolation. For the moment, I feel great and am grateful for all the people who have offered their support. The Covid-19 virus affects us all, but it affects some people more than others. The elderly will have an extra hard time coping during the C-19 pandemic. This article provides some excellent suggestions for helping them by buying groceries, sharing a meal, or simply phoning them to break the isolation. I’ve just made a donation to the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre and The Friendship Inn on Canada Helps because I know they will be called on more than usual during the pandemic and won’t be able to fundraise. Local businesses are going to really suffe...

  Local Happenings  The Saskatoon Heritage Society’s annual luncheon is at 12 pm, Mar. 15 , at the Sheraton Cavalier. The guest speaker, Elizabeth A. Scott, curator at the Western Development Museum, will share stories of life in Saskatchewan told through the clothes we wore. Sparrow Coffee Shop, the sister to City Perks, is starting to be open. Like them on Facebook to find out when you can drop by. I’m looking forward to browsing the book collection later in the spring. Two Saskatoon coffee shops are on the list of the 50 best coffee shops in Canada – City Perks and Collective Coffee. 33 1/3 Coffee Roasters in Regina also makes the list. A new company with Saskatoon links aims to replace plastic with natural materials that will quickly decompose in backyard compost. Cogomelo’s “products are made from mycelium-based composites, where we use a substrate – in our case, agricultural waste – that is partially replaced as the fungal biomass grows and consumes it.” T...

Local Happenings  Chef de Partie Catering is hosting a grand opening of its new retail kitchen and tasting room from 4-8 pm, Mar. 7 . There will be chef-attended tasting stations, local vendors with samples of their products, and signature zero-proof cocktails. Chef Jenni put on her first chef’s hat when she was 4 years old and is now executive chef at Wanuskewin Heritage Park. One of her goals is to promote female chefs , “especially Indigenous female chefs, to a place of being able to talk about food and to reinterpret Indigenous food, and to shine.” There was a 9.7% increase in the amount of barley grown in Saskatchewan in 2018, and over half was malting barley. This is consistent with the Midwest in the United States where farmers are struggling to meet the brewers’ demands . Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and that means lots of people will be buying flowers. But commercially grown flowers are hard on workers and the environment . It’s a bit too early in ...