New Look - New Pages

Wanderlust has had a facelift (thanks, Andrew!), and I’ve added some new pages to make it easier to find information about Saskatoon’s culinary establishments and great food products. Enjoy!

Great Saskatchewan Food Products

Broadway: Great Food Places

Riversdale: Great Food Places

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The Golden Towns of Beaujolais

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Heading north out of Lyon, you pass through a long tunnel and exit into a lush green countryside leaving the city far behind. You then turn and head up the hill onto winding roads between a patchwork of vineyards. Many of the vines are really old with short, thick, twisted trunks and a thin stem of green leaves and buds. These are the Gamay vines of Beaujolais, interspersed with a few fields of greener, leafier Chardonnay vines. South Beaujolais, just 45 minutes northwest of Lyon, encompasses 25 medieval villages of orangey-gold stone (limestone and iron) that is surprisingly vibrant (I had been expecting something lighter, similar to the Cotswolds in England). Some of the villages still have the remains of 14th century castles. Oingt is classed as one of the most beautiful villages of France and it really is lovely. You can take a walk around the town on the former ramparts and the church is austere and beautiful. I was on a half-day tour , which combined stopping to...
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Melipal Winery, Argentina

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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...
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Spelt and Millet: Ancient Grains for Today's Healthy Diet

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When I was growing up, whole wheat flour and rice were exotic options. Now we have a whole range of intriguing choices – buckwheat, spelt, millet, kamut – the list goes on and on. My problem is that I don’t know very much about some of these grains, so I arranged a phone call with Nicole Davis, the Owner/Manager of Daybreak Mill near Estevan. Daybreak Mill grows and processes approximately 18 different kinds of flour, whole and de-hulled grains, flakes, cereals, and legumes. They are 100% organic. “We want people to have access to healthy, wholesome food,” Nicole explains. Two of Daybreak’s products – spelt and millet – have been nourishing people around the world for over 9,000 years. Spelt Spelt was cultivated by ancient civilizations in Europe and the Middle East for thousands of years. It grows well in poor soil and doesn’t require fertilizer. It’s resistant to frost and the thick husk protects the grain from insects. However, spelt requires more processing than wheat as ...
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Brit Foods: Saskatoon’s Very Own British Food Store

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My parents were British, and I have spent many happy months in England visiting family friends and relatives. I used to enjoy shopping at the Canadian outlets of Marks & Spencer and was very sorry when they closed, so I was delighted to learn that Saskatoon now has its very own British food store. Brit Foods is located in Cumberland Square, in the covered alleyway just down from Safeway. It’s a treasure trove of British food. The owner, Tony Badger, says they try to stock the national brands, so you’ll find soups by Marks & Spencer and Baxter’s, Yorkshire and Typhoo tea, Heinz beans, Rose’s preserves, Thornton’s chocolates, and Walker’s chips. In addition to the food products (primarily packaged although there are pork pies and a few other items in the freezer), there is an entire wall devoted to loose candies. You can also pick up a linen tea towel or an English magazine. There is a second Brit Foods in Parksville on Vancouver Island, but Mr. Badger says that the demog...
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Il Secondo, Saskatoon: Christie’s Bakery Opens a Second Location

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It’s 4 in the morning and Tracey Muzzolini is making bread at Christie’s Bakery on 33rd Street. She’ll be across town, at Broadway and 10th, opening up Il Secondo, the bakery’s second location, by 7 am. The day will pass quickly as she makes and bakes one pizza after another in the wood-fired oven. Her brother and business partner, Blair Muzzolini, will join her at lunchtime. The last call for pizza is at 5:30, and Tracey will be on her way home at 7:30 pm after a 15-hour work day. This is a short-term solution, but it is nonetheless a huge amount of work. “I do get a little tired in the afternoon,” Tracey says. “I’m quite proud of myself for keeping up. The food industry seems romantic, but you have to love it because you put a lot in.” A Baking Tradition The Christie brothers opened Christie’s Bakery in 1932 at its current location at 420 33rd Street West. Tracey’s parents, Janet and Ennio Muzzolini, bought the bakery in 1965, and Tracey and her brother Blair have worked there th...
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