Wanderlust and Words

Building its brand with honesty and pride in the people, the land, and the vines At the Melipal winery in Mendoza, Argentina, the Aristi family is establishing their brand with a focus on quality and personal involvement. The next generation Ignacio Aristi is an agronomist who has always made his living from the land, watching the weather and the soil, trying to predict the harvest. But his work involved commodities. It wasn’t hands-on, and he often talked to his family about his desire to play a more active role in developing a value-added business. In 2001, Ignacio visited Mendoza, Argentina’s premier wine-growing region, and recognized that a winery would provide an opportunity to maintain his commitment to the land while also shaping a distinctive brand that reflected his family’s values and personality. It takes a long time to establish a winery and make it profitable, but that was okay because Ignacio was building for the next generation, his five children. Ownership...

Foodie news and events in and around Saskatoon – patio party, harvest fair, night on the rocks, and goat cheese Antiques Appraisal, September 3 Do you have a family treasure? Bring it to the Marr Residence on Saturday, September 3 from 1:00-4:30 pm and have local antiques appraiser John McGowan tell you more about it. Limit 2 items per person. $5.00 per item. Farmers’ Market Patio Party, September 4 Riverbend Plantation Café and the Garlic Guru are holding a Patio Party at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market on Sunday, September 4 from 5-8 pm . The menu includes tapas, appetizers, and dessert flambé. Cash bar and one free alcoholic drink. Live entertainment by local jazz duo Bassavoce. Tickets are $30 per person or $50 per pair and are available at Riverbend Café or the Garlic Guru. Marr Harvest Fair, September 5 Relive the tradition of a pioneer harvest fair at the Marr Residence on Monday, September 5 from 1:00-4:30 pm . There will be contests, demonstrations of heritage craf...

On a century-old family farm just outside of Saskatoon, a brother and sister team are trying their hand at a modern style of farming. But their goal remains the same as it has been for generations – to help feed the local population. This is the first season of operations for Floating Gardens , a hydroponic greenhouse operated by Rachel and Chris Buhler. Rachel has a Master’s degree in Plant Sciences while Chris has a diploma in greenhouse management. They have built a huge greenhouse (176 x 144 feet) on the family farm and have started selling their produce at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market as well as to a few local restaurants and Steep Hill Co-op. Their produce is absolutely gorgeous – shiny plump eggplants, cherry tomatoes in an assortment of shapes and colours, baskets of strawberries, and all sorts of melons (cantaloupe, charentais, mini honeydew). It’s a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. Local produce Saskatchewan grows less than 10% of its own produce – far less t...

I had dinner last evening at the Istanbul Diner (255 3rd Avenue South, Saskatoon). As I stood in the entrance way, debating where to sit (it’s a big restaurant), a tiny girl in a pretty pink dress skipped up to greet me, took my hand and led me to a seat. She proceeded to provide me with a menu and express great disbelief over the fact that I was a vegetarian and didn’t want to try the lamb kebabs or the fish. The chef, however, had no such problem and was delighted to provide us with vegetarian kebabs accompanied by fresh green salad and rice. He asked how spicy we wanted it, and it came exactly as ordered – very mild heat with lots of flavour. The vegetable kebabs included lots of roasted tomato, pepper and chunks of Thai eggplant (tiny, egg-shaped fruit). The menu bears further investigation by carnivores, but we were pleased with our vegetarian option. There are no desserts, but we were given a small piece of Turkish delight and a glass of tea to finish off our meal. The ...

Foodie news and events in and around Saskatoon – bakeries, coffee shops, espresso, fine dining, farmers, and cider Caffe Sola Caffe Sola has new windows! The large windows and corner location have been a blessing and a curse for Caffe Sola. The new windows are treated to reduce the negative impact, and wooden benches along the window provide additional seating. Looks awesome. (And the baked goods are pretty awesome too.) Il Secondo Il Secondo , Christie’s Bakery’s location just off Broadway, is now open until 9 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. And they have a liquor license, so you can enjoy pizza straight out of the wood oven along with your choice of Italian beer or wine (at least 2 red and 2 white). EarthBound Bakery What would Saturdays be like without a stuffed croissant from EarthBound Bakery ? The croissant this week was exceptional – the filling was roasted pattypan squash with arugula-walnut-garlic pesto. Trent Loewen, the baker, uses as many local, organic products as he ...

Megan Macdonald and Todd Gronsdahl, the owners of Sushiro and Duck Duck Goose restaurants in Saskatoon, are artists and world travellers who enjoy sharing their love of food in a friendly, inviting atmosphere. They are adapting the Japanese pub and Spanish tapas traditions to suit a Saskatoon audience, and it’s a welcome addition to our social and cultural environment. Sushiro Sushiro , on 10th Street just off Broadway Avenue, offers a varied selection of Japanese dishes accompanied by martinis (lychee sake, plum blossom plum wine), cocktails (wasabi Caesar), beer (Hitachino, Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo), wine and tea. Fresh sushi is a central focus of the menu, but there is so much else as well. My absolute favourite is the Panko crusted mushroom risotto cakes drizzled with Japanese chilli mayo. The tempura sweet potato is also great and so are the fresh, crispy salads with carrot, daikon and even seaweed. I keep meaning to leave room for dessert because they sound intriguing. It’s...

Foodie news and events in and around Saskatoon – wine and tapas, veggie day care, dessert trends, and farmers’ markets Duck Duck Goose Duck Duck Goose , Saskatoon’s first wine and tapas bar, will be opening at lunch time on Tuesday. I’ll be posting a profile of Megan Macdonald and Todd Gronsdahl, the owners of Sushiro and Duck Duck Goose Tuesday afternoon. Veggie Tots Day Care Are you looking for a vegetarian/vegan day care for your children? If so, contact Kim Vander Kooy at veggietotsdaycare@yahoo.ca . Kim has two young boys, a Bachelor of Education and experience teaching in Africa and Asia. Birthday celebrations - Saskatoon Farmers’ Market There will be musical entertainment and free samples from the vendors at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market on Saturday, August 20 and Sunday, August 21 to celebrate the Market’s 36th year of operation. Events organizer The Saskatoon Farmers’ Market is looking for an Events Organizer . Email your resume, with a cover letter, to skfarm...

I’m fully alive when I’m travelling in a foreign country. In completely new surroundings, with unknown sights, sounds, smells and culture, I pay attention to everything. It’s possible to have that same experience in my home community if I make the effort to step out of my routines and explore a new location. Andrew, Shelley and I did just that last week when we had lunch at Jin Jin Cuisine Dumpling at 416 20th Street West in Saskatoon. The outside of the building is unassuming, but Mike, a new friend, had told me that they served great food. We ventured in the door and were grateful that the chalkboard menu in Chinese was supplemented by a bilingual paper menu. The restaurant is owned by a Chinese couple, Yang Wei Fang and Yao Yu Shang. The husband cooks and the wife looks after front of house. Her English is pretty basic, but she’s friendly and helpful. We explained that we were vegetarians and she kept repeating “no meat” as she wrote down our choices. Mike had recommended some ...

Effective writing is simple and elegant – like a well-designed garden. It invites readers to enter, to follow the story, to explore the ideas. Enjoy the photographs of Spanish gardens and pick up some effective writing tips in my Elegant Simplicity slideshow. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you need help with editing or writing projects or would like me to facilitate a communications workshop. Elegant Simplicity: Bridging the gap between the writer and the reader View more presentations from PennyMcKinlay .

Foodie news and events in and around Saskatoon – vegetarian magic, scarlet-red coffee, local beans and oats and cooking classes Local Bounty I dropped in at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market on Sunday, August 7 to check out the local food samples available from the local chefs participating in Local Bounty. Calories, White Birch Catering, Cava Caffe, Riverbend Plantation and Garlic Guru were on hand with an assortment of small bite-sized dishes, and it could be accompanied by a glass of wine. There was only one vegetarian option (Garlic Guru), but the lemon-mint panna cotta from Riverbend Plantation was yummy and made up for the lack of variety. There were lots of people and lots of activity in the food court area. Put it in on your calendar for next year. White Birch Catering – Vegetarian Dinner White Birch Catering is offering a vegetarian banquet on Saturday, August 27 at 6 pm . It will be held in the old Aberdeen church, which has been converted into the family home of Carmen ...

Introducing Saskatchewan products to Saskatchewan consumers The Saskatchewan Food Producers Association opened SaskMade Marketplace in the fall of 2004 to showcase their members’ products and to provide members with experience running a business. It was a handy place to shop for local gifts if you were travelling overseas, but the range of produce was fairly limited. It was a challenge for the Association to run a business on a shoestring budget. In January 2011, they decided to sell SaskMade Marketplace to private owners, Candace Ippolito, April Nichol and their partners. Candace and April are both farmers, and all the partners have strong connections to the agricultural industry. The new owners will continue to showcase Saskatchewan products but are also planning to expand the store by offering a wider range of Saskatchewan-made products and a larger selection of gift baskets that will appeal to more people. They also hope to introduce an educational component in order to prov...

Foodie news and events in and around Saskatoon – cheese, beer, oil, melons – and it’s all local Three Farmers Camelina Oil Tasting Drop by Souleio Foods at 265 3rd Avenue South on Saturday, August 6 to taste Three Farmers Camelina Oil.  Camelina is an ancient seed that used to be grown extensively in Europe. It is now being grown in southeast Saskatchewan. The oil is rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids as well vitamin E. It keeps well and can be used for everything from marinades to frying and baking. Local Bounty Saskatoon Farmers’ Market: Local chefs will be preparing local food at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market on Sunday, August 7 from noon to 3 pm . The appetizer samples will sell for $2 each. Prince Albert: Two events at the Forest Centre on September 9 and 10 . On Friday evening, CJ Katz and Doug Reichel will be hosting a food and wine pairing. There will be a dinner on Saturday featuring the “Best of Local Cuisine.” $40 per event or $75 for both. Call ...