Wanderlust and Words

Tucked away in one of the narrow alleys that weave their way through Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter is a tiny cheese store, La Formatgeria la Seu , that has developed a devoted following. The store opened in 2000 on the site of one of Barcelona’s first butter-making factories. The owner, Katherine McLaughlin, formerly of Scotland, has travelled all over rural Spain, visiting farms and getting to know traditional cheesemakers. Farmhouse cheeses The store carries 20 to 25 farmhouse cheeses from small producers. The number varies, depending on the season and the availability. Katherine only purchases what she believes is good in terms of each cheese and its maturing age. For example, the Manchego has been aged for at least 6 months and must be unpasteurized. I lunched on Queso de la Serena , an unpasteurized sheep’s milk cheese from Extremadura in southeast Spain. It was wonderful – runny and creamy with a sour note that gave it personality. La Formatgeria la Seu offers tastings by ...

Foodie news and events in and around Saskatoon – D’reen’s heads downtown, vegetarian cookbook, Sunday brunch, Prairie fruits and more D’reen’s Eatery on 2nd Avenue Big news! D’reen's Cuisine  is opening a new location on 2nd Avenue across from the Scotia Centre. There will be in-house seating and take-out. Great news for all of us who have enjoyed D’reen’s cooking over the years. Meet the coup cooks Oh, how I wish that we had a vegetarian restaurant in Saskatoon specializing in local, organic food. Until we do, we’ll have to make do with the cookbook from the COUP , Calgary’s vegetarian restaurant. Meet the coup cooks is a colourful, easy-to-use recipe collection. It’s available from The Better Good on Broadway Avenue. (Thanks, Linda!) Two by Dahlsjo, Prince Albert Chef Kevin Dahlsjo’s restaurant, Two by Dahlsjo , now has a liquor licence and will soon be serving meals in the evening (soft opening June 8, 9, 10) as well as at lunchtime. ( Kitchenworks: Chef Kevin D...

Changing Directions: from Criminal Lawyer in Mexico to Baker in Canada Sol Barrones grew up in Pachuca, in the province of Hidalgo, about 90 kilometres north of Mexico City. Her father was a lawyer and Sol and several of her brothers and sisters followed in his footsteps. She married Alejandro and they moved to Chihuahua, where her husband had a job as an aircraft mechanic. Criminal law in Mexico Sol was employed by the state as a prosecutor, representing the government in criminal trials for 12 years. Chihuahua is a northern border state, and the work was stressful, but Sol thoroughly enjoyed it. The Mexican legal system is very different from the Canadian as the cases have traditionally been presented in writing rather than orally in court. In 2007, Chihuahua was the first to make the transition from a written to an oral system. It was a huge change for all the lawyers and judges and very stressful. A slow, reflective process was transformed into a courtroom drama. “Now you’r...

Bodegas Silvano Garcia is one of the few wineries that are still located in downtown Jumilla. I would love to visit Jumilla at harvest time and to see the tractors lumbering up the streets and entering the bodega to deliver their load of grapes. The winery is a massive complex that previously housed the large local wine cooperative. It was originally built by a French winemaker who moved to Jumilla to continue his trade when phylloxera wiped out his vineyards in France. You can still see some of the original fermentation tanks. They look as if they are made of painted stucco, but the rusty finish is actually the residue from the winemaking process. The residue was a highly-valued by-product because of its concentrated flavour. People would visit the wineries and offer to clean the tanks in order to obtain the residue to make body creams, pharmaceuticals or liqueurs. Tradition and evolution Bodegas Silvano Garcia was founded in 1925. The current owner is the fourth generation ...

Foodie news and events in and around Saskatoon – we’re ready for summer with ice cream cookies, French fries, cream soda, iced tea and much, much more Saskatoon Farmers’ Market Five Six more reasons why you should visit the Farmers’ Market. La Plaine Trail Produce I picked up spinach and lettuce on Saturday from Michael Henderson and Jordan Regier, La Plaine Trail Produce . I’ll buy sorrel next week. Michael and Jordan are still really keen on kale – they’ve started growing dinosaur kale, also known as Tuscan kale, which is reputed to be sweeter and even healthier than other varieties. They’re also growing husk cherries (ground cherry, cape gooseberry) and arugula. Living Soil Farms Steve Guenther of Living Soil Farms has great organic produce – potatoes, flax seed, lentils, and – this is new – hemp hearts (good source of protein and omega 3). (article about Living Soil Farms here ) Starting next week, he’ll be dishing up organic French fries topped with housemade ketchup ...

the road less travelled – from theatre arts and business to restaurants and vegetarian cuisine Lindsay Adams is in the second year of a three-year cooking program at SIAST and an apprentice under Chef Moe Mathieu of White Birch Catering . She loves what she is doing, but it has been a steep learning curve as she has transitioned from a university degree in business and the arts to hands-on experience in restaurant kitchens. Italy: simple food, amazingly fresh produce Lindsay grew up in Calgary and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Redeemer University in Hamilton, Ontario. She majored in theatre arts with a double minor in business and creative writing. “It wasn’t a practical degree,” she says, “but it covered everything I enjoyed and I learned a lot.” After university, Lindsay lived in Italy for a year and started learning about food. She worked in a hostel in Rome where the young staff shared all the duties, from reception, to laundry, to cooking. “The owner was Italian,” ...

As we drive north from Jumilla, the vineyards stretch out to the rock faces of the surrounding hills. It’s mid- April and the fields are brown and stony with only hints of greenery on the gnarled vines pruned close to the ground. It’s a stark landscape that reminds me of my home on the Canadian prairies. The climate, the soil and the geography are harsh and demanding. They bring out the best in the people and in the wines. The vines Bodegas Juan Gil is a fourth-generation family winery that has earned a world-wide reputation for quality wine. At 700 to 850 metres in altitude, their vineyards are harvested much later (end of September to middle of October) than the vineyards at a lower altitude (and warmer temperatures) south of Jumilla. The winery has over 350 hectares of vines. 120 hectares immediately surround the physical plant, which was constructed in 2000. The rest of the land has been purchased, one parcel at a time, from neighbouring farmers. The vast majority of th...