Wanderlust and Words

Food & Wine  This would not go over well in Saskatchewan! The town of Glastonbury in the UK has pledged to go completely vegan by 2023. “While locals will not be compelled to adopt a vegan diet, shops and hospitality in the town will no longer be permitted to sell animal products , so determined carnivores will have to travel elsewhere to purchase meat and dairy. The keeping of livestock within the town will also be prohibited, as will meat barbecues.”  Food is one of the more obvious ways that we connect with our heritage, but it can be difficult for newcomers to find the fruits and vegetables that were available in their home countries. It’s exciting to see newcomer farmers growing and selling foreign food . Leslie Wiser “primarily grows vegetables that come from her Asian and German-Polish Jewish heritage on 1.5 acres in Sebastopol, California. This includes ingredients such as bitter melon, Chinese bald head mustard and Southeast Asian herbs that many of her customer...

Food  “Hot cross buns, hot cross buns, one a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns” Well, they’re not quite that cheap at The Night Oven Bakery , but they are certainly delicious and organic. Night Oven is also selling sour cherry walnut challah on Apr. 2 and 3. If you believe English folklore , you’ll be happy to learn that a hot cross bun baked and served on Good Friday will not spoil or go mouldy for a full year and will protect against shipwreck, fire, and illness.  Herbs  If you’re eager to purchase herb bedding plants, you’ll be glad to learn that Bergamot & Basil will be set up at various locations this spring, including the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market.  History  There were rumours that Dhaka muslin was woven by mermaids, fairies, and ghosts. Or perhaps it was woven underwater. It was all the rage in 18th century Europe, although it inspired alarm as it was so fine it was almost transparent. Dhaka muslin and the plant from which it came disappeared enti...

Food  “Politicians are still saying ‘my job is to make food cheaper for you’, no matter how toxic it is from a planetary or human health perspective,” said Prof Tim Benton, at Chatham House. “We must stop arguing that we have to subsidise the food system in the name of the poor and instead deal with the poor by bringing them out of poverty .”  Bread was introduced in Japan in the early 1800s, but it’s been made softer and sweeter to suit the local palate. Shokupan is a soft, fluffy white bread: “slices of varying thickness are used for fruit sandos, sandwiches filled with colorful diced fruit arranged in artful geometric patterns held together with cream.” Kashipan are “snack breads filled with various pastes and sweet creams.” Books  In a Syrian town under siege from Assad’s regime, a small group of revolutionaries found a new mission: to build a library from books rescued from the rubble. “These young Syrians cohabited with death night and day. Most of them had already...

The geese are honking on the river and I spotted some lovely patches of thick gooey mud on my walk this morning. Spring is on the way! Local Food  There are new vendors at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market – and they’re bakers! Sentient Sandwich is selling plump, mini sourdough bagels, while Old Homestead Baking is selling loaves baked in a traditional 8x8 foot wood-fired clay brick oven.  I picked up some tasty goodies at Beppi’s Gelato this past week. They offer a wide range of Italian products from pasta and sauce to jam and candies – definitely worth checking it out.  Entertainment  My sister in law and I will be going to the theatre – in her living room – in April. Sparrow Theatre Company is a new (to me at least) Saskatoon theatre company. On April 3, they’re streaming A Killer Party , a murder mystery musical. Later in April, we’ll be watching One Hour Photo , a Vancouver Asian Canadian production hosted by Persephone Theatre . Having lived in BC, I’m very awar...

Local News  Two Saskatoon women have started a new business, Bergamot & Basil , and plan to sell the most interesting variety of herb bedding plants around. The list of herbs they hope to sell is long and exciting (5 kinds of mint, 5 kinds of basil, epazote, huacatay). Lemongrass is already planted and sprouting.  Saskatoon Seedy Saturday has gone virtual with online gardening workshops and presentations from Mar. 20-27.  I’m looking forward to celebrating the spring equinox with a Middle Eastern/North African dinner from Nest Saskatoon . Nest has been supporting refugee settlement in Saskatoon since 1997. Art & Architecture   The pandemic has created a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to reimagine our built environments – if we care enough (and dare enough) to take it [comic]  Travel  This cartoon speaks for itself.  Food   30 brilliant condiments to liven up your meals. I’m not sure how many of these are available in Canada, but I’m s...

Local News  The Saskatoon Heritage Society is hosting an online auction . You have until March 7 to place your bids on items ranging from books and ornaments to heritage items.  Persephone Theatre is hosting an online performance of 1 Hour Photo , “the story of Mas Yamamoto, a man whose life was swept up by the major currents of the 20th century. From growing up in a fishing village on the banks of the Fraser River, to being confined at a Japanese Canadian internment camp during World War II, to helping build the Distant Early Warning Line in the Canadian Arctic during the height of the Cold War.”   Art & Architecture  I love bright colours and am intrigued by innovative architecture, but when is it too much of a good thing? Do we really want a football stadium in the shape of a giant lotus flower ? How much bright paint would you want in your home? I’m not sure I could handle Tamsin Chislett’s home : “She is standing in her kitchen, beneath a canary yellow steel...

I began writing about food that was good, clean, fair – and local – in 2010 when I visited Victoria, BC, and was so impressed by the Island’s emphasis on local food. I wanted to explore what was happening in that area in Saskatoon and began interviewing and writing about Saskatoon food businesses and entrepreneurs. The first issue of Flavourful Saskatoon was published 10 years ago on February 17, 2011. That’s a long time and I’m ready to expand my scope. I’ll always care passionately about supporting local farmers and food businesses, but I want to share with you some of my other interests.  I’m a writer and an introvert so please consider these weekly postings as my conversation with you. They’ll cover an assortment of topics from art and books to food and travel. I hope you will enjoy it, but I also appreciate that I have changed my focus and some of you will no longer be interested – and that’s okay. And don’t worry – as you’ll see from today’s post, there will still be lots of ...