Seasoning Your Brand of Food or Wine

What do you get when you combine a love of words with a love of food or wine? A visual essay of brands and the stories they tell about their products.



Penny McKinlay, Communications Consultant

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Petra Market: A Mediterranean Grocery

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Tucked away in a strip mall on Primrose Drive (north of Lawson Heights Mall) is Petra Market, a treasure trove of food products from the Arabic countries in the Mediterranean. I’m fascinated by grocery stores full of unknown-to-me products but also a little nervous about trying things, so I was really happy when Nour Dabbour, the owner of Petra Market, showed me around and told me about the different items. Nour is trying to stock products from as many Middle Eastern countries as possible. He even stocks the same product from a number of different countries because he says that each country’s product tastes slightly different. Za’atar , a spice mix, is a prime example with packages from Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, and each one is a slightly different colour with a slightly different taste. The most popular areas of the store are the nut and treats bars with an amazing assortment of Middle Eastern candies and mildly spiced nuts. Nour gave me a variety to try and I’m real...
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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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Cake or Bears? Take Your Pick

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I admire clever advertising, whether it’s wine labels or restaurant signs. These ones in Shrewsbury for Stop Café, the Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery’s restaurant , are funny and clever. It’s inexpensive advertising, and it works. Plus, I had a really excellent lunch with superior service. I asked if I could have a small bowl of soup alongside my quiche. Not only did they accommodate my request, but they didn’t charge me for the soup, which came with a bun and butter. On the other hand, the Loopy Shrew’s signage drew me in the door, but I didn’t stay. The server had to be reminded that she should take my order, and they’d run out of the advertised soup of the day and an alternate wouldn’t be available for another hour. And this was at 12:30 pm – why didn’t they realize they would run out and start a new batch sooner? The final sign is for my sister in law who was a Saskatoon police officer for 25 years. In this case, however, Cop refers to the location, whi...
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Flavourful Saskatoon, August 28, 2017

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The Next Great Food Business Public Tasting, Sept. 7 The Local Kitchen is hosting a public tasting with samples from each of the finalists in the Next Great Food Business competition. Finalists are: King’s Jerky, Kind Condiments , Smoke and Salt BBQ, Bannock Express , and Voodoo Van . Wine Tastings Guess the most expensive wine (Sept. 8), sample some Rhône wines (Sept. 22), or attend the 2017 Premier Showcase Wine Dinner (Sept. 28) sponsored by Saskatoon Co-op Wine Spirits Beer. Premier Showcase is also offering a Portugal with a Splash of California wine seminar (Sept. 29) and a Women & Whisky seminar (Sept. 30). Refresh and Renew I had a chat with Trent Loewen about his plans now that he has sold Earth Bound Bakery. He is heading east to visit chef friends in Ontario and then off to New Zealand to explore what's happening there. After 9 years with a single focus, it's time to explore new ideas. Interestingly enough, the bakery's new owner is a business...
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Flavourful Saskatoon, August 21, 2017

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