Flavourful Saskatoon, December 17, 2012

Prairie Pie Co.’s Home Baked Oatmeal
My go-to breakfast at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market is home baked oatmeal topped with fruit and cream from the Prairie Pie Co. It’s healthy and delicious – the perfect way to start the day. And now I can enjoy it at home as well. Mary Uzelman and her sister, Cindy Placatka, are selling ready-to-serve baked oatmeal in two flavours – Tart Cherry & Almond or Saskatoon Berry. Yum!

A New Look for City Perks
City Perks on 7th Avenue starts renovating their space on December 27. They’re finding a little more room for customers and redesigning the kitchen to make it more convenient. Their designer is Jacqueline Neusch from Sew Chic Eco Décor. I spoke to Jacqueline last year about her environmentally-friendly design practices, working with refurbished, repurposed, and sustainable furnishings.

Great Tea, Great Service
I’ve been purchasing loose leaf tea online from Camellia Sinensis Tea House in Montreal for a number of years. They have a very large collection of teas to choose from – I know of no one else who offers so many different varieties of oolong.

They travel to Asia each year to visit the farmers and source the teas that they will offer for sale. Many of the suppliers are small, often organic, farmers and Camellia’s blog introduces the farmers and their land, creating a personal connection between the grower and the consumer.

In addition to flavourful tea, Camellia Sinensis provides outstanding service. When I opened my most recent purchase, I found that they had included a pretty little tin of Puer Langhe from Vietnam. I’ve been wanting to try Puer tea – and now I can.

Cake Witch Café, Dec. 21
The Cake Witch Café (3008 5th Street, Rosthern) is holding a Last Minute Stocking Stuffer Bake Sale on Friday, December 21 from 3-8 pm.

2013, International Year of Quinoa
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization has designated 2013 as the International Year of Quinoa. Two filmmakers, Michael Wilcox and Stefan Jeremiah, headed to Bolivia to find out why such a tiny grain merits world-wide attention. Here’s a promo for their documentary, The Mother Grain. (via The Huffington Post)

Eat Orange
US researchers have found that women with the highest levels of carotenoids in their blood had the lowest risk of breast cancer. So folks, let’s eat lots and lots of carrots and oranges and sweet potatoes!

True Food
If you’re looking for ideas on how to eat more healthily, check out True Food: Seasonal, Sustainable, Simple, Pure by Andrew Weil, Sam Fox and Michael Stebner.

The book combines recipes and essays to help you prepare food that tastes delicious and promotes well-being. (via Shelley – thanks!)

My Berlin Kitchen
I am thoroughly enjoying reading My Berlin Kitchen by Luisa Weiss. Torn between her roots in Berlin and New York, she cooks her way to happiness, finding love along the way. If you’ve ever felt confused and out of place, you’ll cheer for Luisa as she finds her place in the world. Lots of recipes too!

Merry Christmas!
I’m taking some time off over the holidays. Flavourful Saskatoon will be back again on Monday, January 7.

Flavourful Saskatoon is a weekly Monday feature. I also post regular profiles of culinary entrepreneurs, new restaurants and new food products.

Follow me on Twitter, like the Wanderlust Facebook page, or subscribe to Wanderlust and Words by email (top right-hand corner) to stay on top of Saskatoon’s evolving food culture.

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