Wanderlust and Words

Greetings from Newport, Pembrokeshire, Wales. It’s much warmer than Saskatoon, but there’s a howling gale battering against the house from all directions and white caps cover the bay. There are lots of exciting things happening, as always, in Saskatoon. Let’s start off with four new food businesses. Vintage Wine Bar on the Corner The Vintage Wine Bar on the Corner is located in the corner of the Hotel Senator lobby. They offer classic cocktails and “the best wine list in the city.” They’re using a Coravin system so that they can serve wine by the glass and still ensure it stays fresh. The Brasserie  The Brasserie , at 226 2nd Avenue S, will be serving coffee, tea, wine by the glass, and a light menu. “There hasn’t been a place downtown where you can go for a dessert and a coffee — whether it’s a boozy coffee or a regular coffee — or a glass of wine. There wasn’t a lot of options out there,” explained owner Daniel Beavis . The Brasserie will showcase art by establish...

 Pottery, glass, weaving – all these handicrafts bear the firm imprint of the artisan’s fingers, and I find it easy to feel the connection and relate to their work. And make no mistake about it, this is art, just as much as any Renaissance or Cubist painting. But it’s more grounded, more connected to daily life. Craft in the Bay , Cardiff, displays and sells the works of the Makers Guild in Wales. It’s almost across the street from the Wales Millenium Centre and other well-visited sites in Cardiff Bay and yet I fear it’s often overlooked. What a shame! Craft in the Bay is a well-lit gallery displaying an amazing array of handicrafts. I fell in love with at least half a dozen pieces, ranging from pottery to fabric art to glass. If you’re in Cardiff, be sure to visit.

To my mind, a city needs two things if it wants a lively town centre: 1. Pedestrianized streets so that people can wander, stop to chat with their neighbours, or listen to a choir singing Christmas carols. 2. Local, independent stores with character. Cardiff combines both these elements, along with quirky architectural design, in their arcades. In addition to at least 3 major pedestrianized streets, Cardiff has over 6 Victorian and Edwardian arcades where you’ll find tea shops, Italian restaurants, delis, art galleries, and so much more. There’s a covered market as well as modern shopping centres with the whole range of chain stores. It’s a delight to wander in Cardiff’s town centre, and I’m not surprised to learn that it’s been named one of the top 10 shopping destinations in Britain.

I'm convinced that the sun came out from behind the clouds the minute the train crossed the border into Wales. And there was my first Welsh castle in Chepstow (sorry, no photo). The good weather continued once I'd arrived in Cardiff, and I was delighted to discover a Christmas Market in the pedestrianized city centre. I sampled local cider, beer and liqueur; tried 3 different brands of local cheese; and bought some Welsh cakes for tomorrow morning's breakfast. There was also a wide variety of handicrafts - pottery, glass and silver ornaments, and much more. It's such a shame that the weather doesn't permit a similar market in Saskatoon.

Plant This Movie, Nov. 27  Saskatoon Food Council kicks off its monthly Urban Ag Film screening at 7 pm , Nov. 27, with Plant This Movie, showing the state of urban farming around the world. Hot Sauce Tasting, Nov. 28 El Mercado Las Palapas is holding a tasting of all 16 of their hot sauces between 12 and 5 pm , Nov. 28. Purchase your favourite and receive a 10% discount. Tea and Warm Elixir Lab, Nov. 28  Intuitive Path Superfoods is hosting a Tea and Warm Elixir Lab at 2 pm , Nov. 28. Kai Hicks will share his ultimate ingredients for optimal health. Frostfest, Dec. 12  The Glen at Crossmount is hosting Frost Fest from 1-5 pm , Dec. 12. There will be craft and baking vendors, a chance to visit with Santa, winter games, and hot apple cider. Community Greenhouse Feasibility Study  The Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre commissioned a Community Greenhouse Feasibility Study. A summary of the results is now available online. The proposed F...

The kitchen on a merchant ship was called a caboose and it wasn’t very grand. It was a simple, portable shelter protecting the stove on the open deck of a ship. In Canada, the galley on a timber raft was also called a caboose. And, of course, a caboose is also a railway car. Whichever definition you choose, a caboose spells out travel and outdoor adventure, with a close link to cooking and food. It’s the perfect name for Beth Rogers' and Thayne Robstad’s catering company, Caboose Catering . A Thirst for Travel  Beth Rogers and Thayne Robstad grew up in Saskatoon and met when they were working in two Broadway restaurants. They both wanted to enhance their culinary skills, and the best way to do that was through travelling and working in restaurants across Canada. “Your learning curve skyrockets at a new restaurant,” Thayne explains. Their first stop was in Vancouver where Thayne worked in La Quercia , an Italian restaurant. “The chef had a huge influence on me,” Thayne ex...

Fresh, local spinach in November - what a treat! Cooking Class Dinners, Swift Current  Sarah Galvin will be hosting cooking class dinners emphasizing local Saskatchewan food this winter in Swift Current. Each evening is limited to 12 people, and tentative dates are Feb. 13 , Mar. 26 , Apr. 16 , and May 21 . Gift certificates will be available for Christmas giving. For more information, contact Sarah at sgalvin@shaw.ca . Sarah writes for The Western Producer , is a Swift Current & District Farmers’ Market vendor, and has a blog entitled All Our Fingers in the Pie . El Brunch Mexicano, Nov. 18  Saskatchewan Polytechnic is hosting a Mexican brunch from 11-12:30 , Nov. 18. Brunch is by reservation only; contact Maureen at 306-659-4057. Grub and Gab Wheel of Food Safety, Nov. 19  CHEP Good Food Inc.’s Collective Kitchen Partnership invites the public to join them from 6-8 pm , Nov. 19, to Play the Wheel of Food Safety . Breakfast with Santa, Dec. 6...

Taqueria Mexicana opened this weekend at the Saskatoon Farmers' Market Building a Better Future, One Tasty Donut at a Time New Community Youth Development Corporation (YDC) wants to start a take-away café, partially run by their students and providing instruction in commercial cooking and sheltered employment and they're asking for our help. This is one of the tastiest Indiegogo campaigns ever. You can receive great perks such as a donut named after you in a flavour of your choice, 10 jars of homemade preserves, a Christmas baking package, a gourmet Italian feast, etc. As part of their fundraising campaign, YDC is attempting to enter the Guinness Book of World Records with a 20-foot-long donut. YDC is a finalist in Affinity Credit Union’s Business for Good Social Venture Challenge. The winning enterprise will receive $50,000 in addition to the money raised on Indiegogo . Raw Dessert Workshop, Nov. 14  Heather Hedivan and Kalyn Smith will teach you how to make raw H...

Roasted sweet potato and parmesan curls - great additions to a salad (Little Bird Patisserie) Apple Cider, Herbs & Spices Learn how to grow herbs and spices on your windowsill this winter from 7-8 pm , Nov. 18 , at the Glen at Crossmount’s Art Barn . On Nov. 25 & 26 , you can learn about the history and origins of cider-making around the world and the varieties of commercial cider available today from 2-3 pm, Nov. 25 , and 4-5 pm, Nov. 26 . Tyler Kaban, Crossmount’s Cider Maker, will also give a guided tour of the cidery and outline his plans for making cider . City Park Grocery Store Good news! Darren Hill, Ward 1’s City Councillor, has spoken with Loblaws and they have said that they will NOT impose restrictive language regarding the sale of food products on the pending sale agreement at the location of the Shop Easy on 7th Ave. Boffins Fall Menu Boffins Fall menu includes two vegetarian dishes. I’m particularly intrigued by the grainy waffles ‘n’ pulled ‘shro...