Wanderlust and Words

Women  In 19th century Great Britain, the artists and scientists were expected to be men. And yet, women found a way to contribute. Margaret Rebecca Dickinson produced a remarkable collection of dried plants and detailed wildflower watercolours that became a valuable addition to a natural history museum’s collection. Do take a look at her work as we wait impatiently for spring flowers in Saskatoon!  Our Bodies, Ourselves was first published 50 years ago. It was influential in the lives of so many women , myself included.  Food Equality  Reinventing Food Banks and Pantries: New Tools to End Hunger by Katie Martin is aimed at people working in food banks who want to improve the system: “ What if our success is measured not simply by the pounds of food we distribute but by the reduction in people who need our services? Or the number of people who are connected to additional services? Or the number of people who make fewer trade-off decisions between paying for foo...

Who hasn’t dreamed at least once of glamour, wealth, and high society? And as for owning a palazzo overlooking the Grand Canal in Venice, well, that’s right up my street of dreams! The Unfinished Palazzo: Life, Love and Art in Venice by Judith Mackrell is the true story of three women who owned the Palazzo Venier at different times during the twentieth century.  The Palazzo Venier was an unfinished building (only the basement and the first floor were completed) that threatened to tumble into ruins more than once over the centuries. But it had a spectacular setting with a large terrace overlooking the Grand Canal.  Luisa Casati, a wealthy Italian woman, purchased the palazzo around 1910 to use as a base for her summer parties. The author speculates that Luisa may have had Asperger’s. All we know for sure is that she was a woman who liked to strike a pose, wearing elaborate costumes and trailing around Venice with her black panther, male servant, and a snake coiled around her n...

Local News  The Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre is offering a skill development program for women entrepreneurs in the food processing sector .  I would be interested in reading Beyond the Food Court: An Anthology of Literary Cuisines , “a collection of 14 creative non-fiction essays that delve in the subtleties, diversity, and individuality of ethnic cuisines beyond the uniform, kitschy offering at a typical mall food court ” written by 14 Edmonton authors.  In the Kitchen  Sandor Katz says fermentation is a fact, not a fad. His new book, Fermentation as Metaphor , explores how fermentation applies to politics, religion, and cultural movements . Fermentation pros may want to try their hand at nukazuke, making bran-fermented vegetables : “It’s kind of like a compost recipe.”  I have purchased a lot of spices – 3 separate orders! – during the pandemic. I was relieved to know I was not alone. Jay Rayner, British restaurant critic, shares my  di...

“Never to get lost is not to live, not to know how to get lost brings you to destruction.”   Rebecca Solnit, A Field Guide to Getting Lost   I walk every day. I walk to run errands, to explore, to simply feel the breeze on my skin and the sun on my face. And I walk even more when I’m travelling to get the feel of a new place and a sense of its culture, history, and mood. So I couldn’t resist a book entitled Flâneuse: Women Walk the City in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Venice and London by Lauren Elkin. The book begins by pointing out how difficult it has been and still is for women to simply wander around a city. There is danger. There are expectations that a women’s place is in the home. Fortunately, there are women throughout the years who have resisted societal norms. George Sand delights in the freedom she gains by cross-dressing: “With those little iron-shod heels, I was solid on the pavement. I flew from one end of Paris to the other. . . . I came home at...

Local Happenings  Mayfair United Church is hosting a Christmas Baking Walk at 10 am , Dec. 14 . Get there early to choose your favorites as supplies run out fast! Celebrate Christmas at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market on Sunday, Dec. 15 . Santa will be there from 11 am-1 pm, and there will be live music and lots of good food and artisanal products. The Food Centre has introduced a new business development program for women entrepreneurs and women business owners in the food processing industry. Awesome ’s program goal is to advance women entrepreneurs through skill development, opportunity identification, manufacturing advice, and export marketing. Reading Matter  There are lots of books I’d like to read in Civil Eats’ Food and Farming Holiday Book Gift Guide . Here are two of them: Food Town USA: 7 Unlikely Cities that are Changing the Way We Ea t by Mark Winne looks at cities that are making progress in building local, sustainable, equitable food systems. Two...

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...

Migrating Moon Indigenous Plants and Food Gather, Oct. 2  As part of Culture Days, Wanuskewin Heritage Park is hosting Migrating Moon Indigenous Plants and Food Gather on Oct. 2. It will include an indigenous survival foods walk. Evening Market Launch, Oct. 5 Saskatoon Farmers’ Market is launching their weekly evening market ( Wednesdays, 4-7 pm ) on Oct. 5 with 30+ vendors, a cooking demo with Chef Jenni, face painting, music, and more. Rubbish, Oct. 19 The Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council is celebrating its 25th anniversary with Rubbish , a 3-course meal prepared by The Hollows that will demonstrate how you can use “rubbish” such as beet leaves, carrot tops, or fruit pits to create a meal. There will also be a special “garbage” beer from Nine Mile Brewery. Nosh Pop-Up, Nov. 3/4 (Moose Jaw)  Chef Justin O’Reilly of Nosh Eatery & Tap and Common Café + Bakery , Moose Jaw, will be offering a collaborative 4-course dinner with drink pairings on Nov. 3 ...

Fishguard is a pretty little town, just a short bus ride from where I’m staying in Newport, Pembrokeshire. It’s built on a steep hill and the descent into Lower Town and then up into the main square includes some interesting corners that can only be negotiated by single-lane traffic. I don’t envy the bus drivers. I particularly enjoy the brightly-painted old buildings around the main square. Harbour  Fishguard is a quiet town nowadays, but in the late 18th century it was an important trading port with over 50 small vessels carrying coal, lime, slate, and herrings. It was also a centre of shipbuilding. Nowadays, Goodwick, just around the point from Fishguard, is a port for ferries travelling to and from Rosslare, Ireland. Old Fort  In 1779, an American privateer fired on Fishguard from his ship. This prompted the construction of the Old Fort with an array of 8 9-pounder guns. The Last Invasion  In 1797, a squadron of 4 French ships drew up and ...