Wanderlust and Words

Mama G’s Authentic Nigerian Cuisine, July 5  Grace and Friday Mbuekor are Nigerian refugees whose dream is to have their own restaurant serving authentic Nigerian food made from fresh, locally-sourced organic ingredients. Everyone is invited to attend the launch of their crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo from 1-3 pm , July 5 at St. Stephen’s Anglican Church. There will be refreshments, a video about Mama G's Authentic Nigerian Cuisine , singing, and prayers. July Celebrations at the Marr Residence  The Marr Residence, Saskatoon’s oldest building still at its historic location , hosts a variety of events over the course of the summer. There will be Dominion Day celebrations on July 1 , an Open House & Garden Concert on July 6 , and a Teddy Bears’ Picnic on July 13 . All events are from 1-4 pm . Garlic Guru @ Creekside Orchard, July 24/25 Teresa Giesbrecht, from Garlic Guru, will be preparing a four-course meal at Creekside Orchard on July 24 and 25. July Ta...

“I love the new Asian Market,” says Sheri Imbach. “It reminds me of being back home in Vancouver, BC!”  The first thing I noticed when I walked into the Super Fresh Asian Market on the corner of Clarence Avenue and 12th Street E. was the bilingual signage – and a very small section dedicated to “Canadian” food. The rest of the store holds Chinese specialties and standbys. It’s not just canned goods and packages either. There’s an in-store bakery, butcher, and Chinese pharmacy, as well as fresh produce. I met Sheri Imbach, who works for Three Farmers , at the Rinnovo Dinner at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market . She’s a keen cook who obviously loves to try her hand at a wide range of different dishes. She was so enthusiastic about the Asian Market. She says, “I love all the amazing items such as the Honey Buns, Coconut Buns, Red Bean Paste Buns (my favorite). Party in my mouth! They have a butcher on site who cuts the thickest pieces of Pork Belly #spoiled. I love to p...

"The beet is the most intense of vegetables … The beet is the melancholy vegetable, the one most willing to suffer. You can't squeeze blood out of a turnip." (Tom Robbins, Jitterbug Perfume)  Onigiri Michelle Zimmer, Wild Serendipity Foods , is now offering onigiri in a variety of flavours. They're perfect summer picnic food as they're easy to transport and eat with your fingers. Tasty too. Now, if someone could start offering us some summer weather, we’d be all set. Night Market, July 3 The Saskatoon Farmers’ Market will be holding their next Thursday Night Market from 4:30-9 pm on July 3. Living Sky Winery, Prairie Sun Brewery, and Last Mountain Distillery will set up an outdoor bar area under the pavilion. Desi Dhaba Restaurant  I’ve seen a good review of Desi Dhaba Restaurant in Riversdale (325 Avenue C South). If you’ve been, please let me know what you think. I believe that the East Indian restaurant was previously located in Dundurn and h...

“I don’t design clothes, I design dreams.” Ralph Lauren  Mountain Mercato Specialty Food Market in Canmore, Alberta, is an absolutely fabulous store. I wandered up and down the aisles, intrigued by all the different products. But as I looked, I began to wonder. Was I excited about the products – or their packaging? Is olive oil in a fancy pottery container or box more interesting than olive oil in a glass bottle? Is bottled water more desirable in a fancy container? Do I want to taste these biscuits, or just admire the butterflies and flowers? I definitely covet these Italian tins more than I want to munch on the biscuits. Is salt in a blue pottery container from Ibiza more flavourful than ordinary table salt? Will maple syrup taste better when it's poured from a wine bottle? I would have loved to purchase a jar of ice cream. It looked homemade rather than the product of a factory production line. Of course, they made sure I thought that way...

Rhubarb Spiked Italian Solstice Dinner, June 21  The Saskatoon Farmers’ Market and Chef Jenni invite you to a Solstice Dinner at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market on June 21. This is a seasonal, market-sourced dinner with wine pairings. A vegetarian second is available. Beer and Food Trucks  Saskatoon will have at least 7 food trucks this summer , but they’re not always easy to find. Prairie Sun Brewery is lining up a regular schedule of food truck visits for lunch and supper. What could be nicer? Beer on the patio with an ever-changing assortment of food on offer – sounds pretty good to me. Vegan Beer  Rebellion Brewing Co. will be opening a taproom with a limited food menu in Regina in Fall 2014. One of their key selling points is that they will offer vegan and gluten-free beer. (A beer is not vegan if the brewer uses something like isinglass [dried swim bladders of fish] to filter their beer.) Out of curiosity, I asked Prairie Sun Brewery if their beer w...

“I want to take pictures to show people what they’re missing. We don’t see any more.” The Art of Hotel Management As a teenager in Mexico City, Alberto Cortés was surrounded by art. He grew up in Coyoacán, one of Mexico City’s oldest neighbourhoods, just a few blocks from Frida Kahlo’s house. There was beautiful architecture, street performers, small cafes, and restaurants. Alberto loved to draw and told his parents that he wanted to be an artist, but they advised against it, saying he wouldn’t be able to make a living. His next thought was to become an architect, but his friends said there were already too many. Eventually, he decided to take a course in hotel management as he liked architecture and food: “I love looking at nice food, and Mexican food is so colourful.” Alberto has now spent almost 30 years in hotel management in 8 to 10 different cities. He has always had a camera in hand, taking shots around the hotels of food, art, and flowers. His love of art intensified wh...

Odd Couple Restaurant Saskatoon’s newest restaurant, the Odd Couple Restaurant , is now open at 228 20th Street West.Riversdale has traditionally been the place to go for good Chinese food, but the Odd Couple restaurant takes it up a notch with classy décor, fresh and unusual ingredients, and beautiful presentation. I enjoyed a heaping serving of Chinese Seasonal Greens with a glass of Australian Rosé. I’ll definitely be back to try out some of their other vegetarian/vegan dishes. Earthbound Bakery Deli Items If you enjoyed the salads from Saskatoon Sous Chef, you’ll be happy to know that Mary Ann is now preparing soups, salads and spreads for sale at Earth Bound Bakery . Market Vendors Ecobain Gardens is now selling their micro greens at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market. You’ll find radish sprouts, mixed brassica, speckled pea sprouts, mustard greens and more. Cake Witch Café and Blazing Star Wildflower Seed Company can be found around the corner from ...