Wanderlust and Words

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

Prairie Harvest Café I was sad to learn that Prairie Harvest Café has closed its doors. It’s been one of my favorite Saskatoon restaurants since day one, and I really appreciated the fact that the chefs focused on cooking with local ingredients, many supplied by the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market. All the best of luck in your new adventures. We’ll miss you. Hug a Farmer This has been a tough summer for many farmers. Prairie Sun Orchard lost their entire cherry crop to insects. Drop by their stand at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market, tell them you care, and have an ice cream. My favorite is the chocolate cherry fudge, but Clare Pearson, the principal ice cream maker, says her new favorite is the salted caramel. Peppers If you’re like me, you assume that all small, skinny peppers are super hot and avoid them like the plague. But that’s a big mistake. Kaleidoscope Vegetable Gardens is offering two long, skinny peppers – one can be hot, but the other isn’t. Padron chile pepper

Grandora Gardens Whites from Portugal  James Romanow recommends some white wines from Portugal and points out the difficulties wine distributors such as Doug Reichel  face in introducing a wider variety of wines to the Saskatchewan market. Thank you Doug for recognizing that some of us are wine lovers and appreciate the opportunity to sample a wide variety of wines from around the world. Neighbourhood Grocery Stores  A market survey indicates that Saskatoon’s downtown population is too small to support a grocery store . And yet, which comes first – the residents or the store? Less people are likely to live downtown if they’re unable to shop locally. Councillor Darren Hill points out that City Park, North Park, Richmond Heights, and Sutherland also need a grocery store and they should be taken into consideration if the City decides to offer incentives for grocery development in downtown. Prairie Grid Dinner Series Eat North is hosting the Prairie Grid Dinner series thi

If you are curious about tea but unfamiliar with loose-leaf teas and the wide variety of flavours and aromas that can be found in pure teas as opposed to flavoured teas (jasmine green tea, Earl Grey), then I highly recommend a visit to the Terroir Tea Merchant on Fort Street in Victoria. Charity and her husband Jason are newly returned to Canada after spending several years in Australia where Charity studied to become a certified Australian Tea Master. Jason is a Tea Specialist with a science degree. A visit to the Terroir Tea Merchant is a sensory experience. Sniff your way along the aroma bar and compare the smell and appearance of each variety of tea. Then take a look at the tea plates to see how the leaves from different terroirs and cultivars vary in shape and size. If you’ve only purchased tea bags, you’ll be surprised by how large some of the leaves are once they expand in hot water. Charity and Jason have worked with a local chocolate expert to match some o

The gardens at the Horticulture Centre of the Pacific are many and varied, from winter-flowering heather to herbs, fruit trees, vegetables, cutting flowers, roses, and bonsai. You move from sun and hot colours to shady paths, a gently flowing stream, and layer upon layer of green. Here and there are scattered sculptures, but to really enjoy art in the garden, you should attend the annual Art in the Garden as I did in 2015. You may also enjoy: Abkhazi Garden 2017 Roses, Government House Gardens  

Farm-to-Table Dinner, Aug. 26  Farm One Forty is hosting a farm-to-table dinner catered by Chef Scott Dicks on their farm on August 26. Latte Art Throwdown, Sept. 9  Venn Coffee is hosting a Latte Art Throwdown from 7-9 pm , Sept. 9. The competition, free pour only, is open to all baristas. Sustainable Gourmet Dinner, Sept. 16 The Saskatchewan Environmental Society is hosting the 12th annual Sustainable Gourmet Dinner on Sept. 16. Local food is prepared by local chefs and there will be musical entertainment from Laura Beach of Twin Voices. Rubbish Dinner & Movie, Oct. 17 The Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council is hosting a Rubbish Dinner on Oct. 17, creating a gourmet meal and beer from food that is often thrown away. Dinner will be followed by a movie about the food waste revolution. Vegetarian Restaurants in Regina If you’re heading to Regina, check out this list of vegan/vegetarian restaurants in Regina . Canada Food Guide Health Canada is asking fo

No trip to Victoria would be complete without a visit to Abkhazi Garden . The winding paths, unusual plants, and layer upon layer of green overlaid with bursts of colours are pure delight.