Wanderlust and Words

All the Sweet Things  You can pre-order your copy of Renée Kohlman’s cookbook, All the Sweet Things, online . One hundred recipes for one hundred delicious treats. Collective Coffee's New Location Collective Coffee has a new location with a new menu but the same great coffee across from St. Paul’s Hospital at 210 Avenue P South (Monday to Friday, 7 am – 5 pm). The Local Kitchen March cooking classes at The Local Kitchen include vegetarian cooking in community with Slow Food Saskatoon, fusion mash-ups with Chef Tom Brownbridge, batch cooking with Caitlin Iles, and raw chocolate making with Those Girls at the Market. Saskatoon’s Best Vegetarian  Here’s a list of some of the best vegetarian dishes to enjoy in Saskatoon restaurants . Cheese Anthology  The Art of Eating offers an anthology of cheese, “a simple, practical guide for people who love cheese.” Find out about the mites that form aged Mimolette’s pitted surface, how Epoisse is washed first in water...

 In order to ensure the long-term viability of their farm, a Lincolnshire family has expanded their operations to include a farm shop and café. The Wimberley Hall Farm Shop is large and sells primarily local Lincolnshire products. There is a large meat section as the family raises cattle and the father is a butcher. The café sells home-cooked food and lots of local products. And the food was very tasty indeed! The shop was originally a derelict barn, while the café was built to complement the existing farm buildings. My thanks to my cousins for a really lovely visit and meal.

Spalding is at the heart of Lincolnshire’s farmland – flat, fertile fields reclaimed from the sea. The main crops are vegetables and flowers. The Welland meanders through town heading towards the North Sea. Tuesday is market day with baked goods, bouquets of flowers . . . . . . and some very nice fudge. Spring flowers are coming out along the river and pathways.

There are some weighty topics in this week's Flavourful Saskatoon – but first, a couple of local Saskatoon initiatives and an organic pioneer.   Alvin Scheresky  Alvin Scheresky passed away this past week. He pioneered organic farming methods in Saskatchewan founding Daybreak Mill in 1964 . Waste Not yxe Waste Not yxe is a Facebook group for Saskatoon residents “who are seeking to be conscious about their impact on and relationship with nature, in part through waste reduction.” They post monthly zero waste challenges as well as sharing tips and personal experiences. They also have a website . Chefs on the Saskatchewan  Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan has announced a new fundraising event featuring local chefs, local products, and lots of flavour. If You Care About Food . . . Immigration Polic y “Top to bottom, the American food system relies on immigrant labor more than any other cross-section of the economy . According to the 2014 Hunger Report, ov...

I'm heading back to England and then Wales but not without some regrets. I've really enjoyed my time in Paris. The symmetry and the zinc mansard roofs in Place des Vosges are truly lovely. I don't know my saints well enough to know which one was beheaded, but the statue amused me.  Thank goodness they turned the Gare d'Orsay into a museum rather than tearing it down! Imagine putting so much effort and detail into a balcony support - our modern builders certainly don't. La Grande Roue was an excellent way to see all the main sights without walking an inch. A sunny afternoon in the Jardins des Tuileries - spring is on its way. And, in the park behind my Paris housesit, pigeons are courting, four males are eagerly pursuing a female duck, and there are pussy willows and buds on the trees.

On a sunny day, what could be more pleasant than a stroll around the two small islands in the middle of the Seine in Paris. It’s hard to believe sometimes that the Seine is still a working river. It’s the rooftops of Paris that continually draw my attention. And then close-ups of some of the amazingly detailed stonework.

Melipal Wines, Mar. 1  Meet Irene Aristi, co-owner of Bodega Melipal , and learn more about the wines of Argentina at 7:30 pm , Mar. 1, at Co-op Liquor. The Local Kitchen  The Local Kitchen , 123 Avenue B South, has a retail store . There will be both food products and prepared dishes, and it will serve as an outlet for members to try out their creations on a small scale. Chef Jenni hosts private events at The Local Kitchen. One of your options is a Black Box Challenge . She’ll create a menu, on the spot, from whatever ingredients she finds in the box. Lettuce Soup  The fridge was full of lettuce when I started a new housesitting assignment this week. Way too much for salad for one person, so I decided to make a batch of lettuce soup. It turned out really well with good flavour. I kept it simple with leek, potato, coconut milk, and a few flavourings – the choice is yours. There are lots and lots of recipe options online. Food Waste Solutions  A Europe...

I got out of the Paris Metro yesterday at Château d’Eau and found myself on a busy boulevard. There was obviously a large Black population in the neighbourhood judging by the hair salons and hair products. There were also lots of young Black males, hanging out individually, not grouped in gangs, and approaching people as they walked by, crossed the street, or emerged from the Metro. I couldn’t understand what they were saying, but it made me nervous. I think women have been programmed to be extremely cautious when approached by male strangers, regardless of race. I would have felt just as uncomfortable if they’d been white. I moved out of the neighbourhood fairly quickly, but I was curious so I went home and Googled the metro station. Obviously, I’m not the first person to be unnerved by the situation, but there is actually a legitimate explanation. The young men are looking for customers for the various hair salons . When they approach people, they’re simply asking if you want a...

I found a self-guided walking tour of modernist architecture in the 16eme arrondissement in Paris and decided to give it a try. It was great fun to take the time to look at the buildings rather than simply heading straight for a destination. (There are some lovely bakeries, chocolate, and cheese stores as well!) The avant-garde architects of the early 20th century were reacting against neo-Renaissance architecture, such as the building designed by J. Boussard and shown in the following photographs. It makes me laugh, but I can see how they were ready for something cleaner and simpler. For example, here are two of six Cubist houses designed by Robert Mallet-Stevens in a small, cobble-stoned cul de sac. Some of the buildings have wonderful tile finishes. Auguste Perret designed a 1904 building around a concrete frame, eliminating the need for internal load-bearing walls and creating light, airy spaces that are typical of Modernism. Tilework with...