Wanderlust and Words

Foodie news and events in and around Saskatoon – Farmers’ Market, Nutrition Month, online recipe searches Saskatoon Farmers’ Market Guiseppi’s Restaurant will be holding a Pasta Night every Saturday evening starting March 5 from 6-9 pm . There will be a choice of 3 types of pasta and 5 sauces. Riverbend Plantation and The Garlic Guru offer a weekly  Friday Lunch Buffet from 11:30-1:30 . The menu changes weekly. RSVP is recommended – 370-0033 or 975-2010. Garlic Guru offers a wide selection of vegan dishes, many of which are gluten-free. Riverbend Plantation has chutney and antipasto in addition to pies and jam. Nutrition Month The Food Mentor and Dieticians of Canada will be at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market on Saturday , March 5 and 19 from 9:30 until noon . Drop by and speak with a nutritionist or take a short tour of the market with a registered dietician. An Eating for Health Panel with Paulette Millis, Cheryl Thompson, Kent Bailey and Leslie Basky will b...

A tale of two brewers and a union of North American and European brewing techniques Chloe Smith and Cedric Dauchot are two young brewmasters who plan to open the Shiny Penny brew pub in Saskatoon in the very near future. They share a passion for beer, but their education and approach to brewing are very different. Here is Part One - Chloe's Story . Part Two Cedric’s story Cedric Dauchot grew up in the French part of Belgium, just south of Brussels. After studying engineering and biochemistry at university for three years, he did an apprenticeship at Interbroue, a large Belgian-based brewing company. Cedric caught the brewing bug and completed his university degree at Institut Meurice, one of three engineering and brewing schools in Belgium. He obtained a degree in Engineering with a specialization in the fermentation industry, which covered everything to do with yeast (vaccines, beer, cheese, alcohol). Cedric then moved to London where he worked in a large brewing research ...

A tale of two brewers and a union of North American and European brewing techniques Chloe Smith and Cedric Dauchot are two young brewmasters who plan to open the Shiny Penny brew pub in Saskatoon in the very near future. They share a passion for beer, but their education and approach to brewing are very different. Part One Chloe’s story   Chloe Smith grew up in Saskatoon and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Chemistry before heading to Europe. She knew she wanted a job that involved science, but she didn’t want to be a “lab rat,” and she wanted to be able to travel. Chloe spent two years in Germany, France and Spain and caught the beer bug. “I lived in Edinburgh where they have great beer,” she says. “There are about five breweries in Edinburgh, and the odour overtakes the city.” Chloe applied for a job at Great Western when she got home from Europe, but when that didn’t work out, she signed up for an online professional brewing course through the American Bre...

Collective Coffee , Saskatoon’s newest coffee shop at 220 20th Street West, is a small, comfortable place with a focus on excellent coffee and community-building. Quality coffee Collective Coffee promises to serve and make quality coffee. If possible, it will also be ethical and organic. Jackson Wiebe, the coffee shop’s owner, has already established his reputation as the owner of Evrgreen Coffee Shop in Waskesiu. Intelligentsia coffee, which is directly sourced from individual farms and farmers, will always be available. Other varieties will be offered on a rotating basis. Tea drinkers like myself will be pleased to know that Collective Coffee is currently serving organic Silk Road tea from Victoria, BC, but they plan to offer David’s teas (another Canadian company) in future. Community 20th Street in Saskatoon has a bad reputation, and many people avoid it. But others are determined to bring it back to life. The Roxy Theatre was restored and reopened and the Saskatch...

Foodie news and events in and around Saskatoon – wine, beer, alphabet soup and urban planning Cypress Hills Vineyard and Winery Cypress Hills Winery has started selling its Saskatoon Berry and Sour Cherry wines through the SLGA liquor outlets. My sister in law really enjoys their Rhubarb Blend wine. Unfortunately, the flood last summer wiped out the winery's big batch of rhubarb, and it will be about 5 years before they’ll have enough to stock the provincial liquor stores. However, they will have a small batch in March that can be delivered by mail within the province. Children's Program at the Market The Saskatoon Farmers’ Market is partnering with Read Saskatoon to provide an 8-week program for children on Wednesdays starting March 2 called Alphabet Soup. Alphabet Soup will focus on nutrition and local, healthy eating. Each week one of the vendors will do a short presentation geared towards children about their farm or products. They will provide a sample and ...

Responding to the needs of Saskatoon's home chefs and foodies The Cava group of stores is expanding as rapidly as Saskatoon’s food culture. What started out as a wine club and retail store has expanded to include Cava Wines and Spirits, Cava Cuisine and Cava Café. Cava Cuisine has three separate outlets offering a wide range of gourmet food, glassware and kitchenware. 133-21st Street East (half block from Midtown Plaza) The downtown location of Cava Cuisine opened in December, and it’s immaculately laid out with elegant displays of glassware and china. I was immediately drawn to the display cabinet offering a mouth-watering range of Harden & Huyse chocolates. Then it was time to browse the assortment of oils from Turkey, Morocco, Crete, Italy and France as well as the balsamic vinegar from France and Italy. There are whole truffles, truffle-infused oils and cream and truffle sauces. There is a small, but intriguing selection of cookbooks, and espresso/cappuccino machines...

Foodie news and events in and around Saskatoon  There are so many interesting foodie events around Saskatoon, so I’m going to try and compile them and share them with you on a weekly basis. I’m planning to post Flavourful Saskatoon news on Mondays, but there are a couple of exciting upcoming events that I didn’t want you to miss so I’m posting early this week. Please email me to share foodie news and events. I’ll be happy to pass along the information. Collective Coffee A new coffee shop is opening at 220 20th Street West on Saturday, February 19 at 10 am . The owner is Jackson Wiebe, and the coffee shop is part of The Two Twenty, a community of social entrepreneurs and artists and has been designed and built by Curtis Olson. I’ll share more information in a future blog post. For now, Jackson and Curtis just want you to know that “It’s good in the ‘Hood.” So be sure to drop by and say hi to the folks at Collective Coffee. Slide show – culinary tour of South V...

Chef Kevin Dahlsjo is cooking up a storm – in the community and in the kitchen Will it be Physics or Home Economics? Many chefs started cooking as children, so becoming a chef was a natural progression. That wasn’t the case with Chef Kevin Dahlsjo. He laughs and says, “In high school, Home Economics was backed with Physics, and I wasn’t that wild about Physics.” It turned out to be a good choice, and Kevin went on to obtain his Red Seal from SIAST in Prince Albert. After graduating, he worked in Waskesiu, serving as Executive Chef at the Hawood Inn for five years. He now has his own catering business, Sublime Catering, and opened a restaurant, Two by Dahlsjo, in June 2010. Kevin represented northern Saskatchewan in the 2010 Saskatchewan Gold Medal Plates and hopes to participate again in the future. “It was a blast,” says Kevin. “It was nice meeting all the other chefs.” Two by Dahlsjo Kevin’s restaurant, Two by Dahlsjo , is located south of the Courthouse at 1928 Central Avenue,...

Olives, cheese, pasta, chutney and much, much more Bulk Cheese Warehouse has been one of my favourite haunts for many, many years. I immediately head for the cheese section to see what is new and/or irresistible, but I usually end up buying crackers or olives or fancy jam as well. So, it was a pleasure to meet with Mike Bartlett, the store’s general manager and find out more about the store. Family business Mike’s father, Scott Bartlett, started the business over 20 years ago. It was originally a wholesale business selling to restaurants, hotels and pizza parlours between Prince Albert and Regina. When the current location at 732 Broadway Avenue became available, they opened a small retail outlet. Over time, the retail business has expanded and replaced the wholesale business .The family also operates a retail store in Regina on Quance Street. Mike says that the store’s aim is to provide customers with a food experience, to help them discover new things and enjoy good products. Bu...

Opening a new restaurant is a huge undertaking, but Paul Chantharyvong has what it takes – love of good food, respect for customers and enthusiasm. Sawaddee is a Thai word for hello and welcome, and you will feel welcome as soon as you step into the cheerful yellow restaurant. Paul and his staff offer a traditional Thai greeting – as a sign of respect and a way to share their culture. It’s obvious that Paul enjoys food and he wants his customers to enjoy it too. Paul was born in Thailand, but his family moved to Regina when he was three years old. After high school, he moved to Calgary where he made sushi for four years. This awakened his interest in cooking, and he went back to school, graduating from the cooking program at SAIT. He then worked for a year at the Marriott Hotel in Calgary. Bangkok and Northern Thai Sawaddee Bistro serves only Thai food. Paul and his main chef, Jarat Chantanit, emphasize the authentic ingredients and recipes, but Paul says they are also trying to m...

French lemon soufflé, sticky toffee pudding from England and fortune cookies from ??? England I have fond memories of eating sticky toffee pudding at Simon’s British Flavours restaurant in Saskatoon, so I’m absolutely delighted that Chef Simon Reynolds is now offering fresh, ready-to-serve meals, including single servings of sticky toffee pudding, for pick up or delivery. I really enjoyed Simon’s creamy Portobello mushroom and goat cheese soup with just a hint of basil last week. And there are lots of other vegetarian dishes for me to look forward to. The ready-made meals can be ordered online . Simon, a British-trained chef, with many years of experience managing award-winning hotels and restaurants, also offers cooking classes. You can follow him on Facebook . China or Japan ??? It’s Chinese New Year’s and many of us will be eating fortune cookies. I was intrigued by an article on Cracking Open the History of Fortune Cookies on the Smithsonian’s Food & Think blog. Fortune...

Environmentally sustainable food production and consumption It’s not easy being green – and there are no black and white rules for operating an environmentally-sustainable business. So it’s interesting to look at some of the factors that influence culinary entrepreneurs and to consider some of our own food choices. Certified organic vs. sustainable For Mistaken Identity , a Salt Spring Island winery, there is no choice. Their wine is certified organic because they believe that care for the land is the first step in product delivery. Erika Heyrman, the owner of Wild Fire Bakery in Victoria, used to be of the same opinion, but the focus is shifting as Erika places increasing weight on sustainable farming practices rather than simply organic products. “It’s a little more flexible, based on where and what you grow,” she explains. “I used to buy organic wheat from Saskatchewan and was paying $2,500 to transport it by truck. Now I’m buying my wheat and rye from two farmers in Metchosin. ...