Wanderlust and Words

One way to get to know a city is through its food, so I signed up with Manchester Food Walks for a tour of Manchester’s Northern Quarter. This tour particularly appealed to me as it combined food with history and street art. The Northern Quarter used to be an industrial area and has maintained many of its old buildings so it’s often used as a film set. It’s centrally located featuring a wide variety of independent stores and restaurants. One of the most famous stores is Afflecks , an "emporium of eclecticism". As we walked around the neighbourhood, the guide, John, pointed out interesting stores and other restaurants worth visiting. I was intrigued to be told that a convenience store was actually a secret bar. Street art is encouraged in the Northern Quarter so there are places where graffiti artists are invited to contribute on a rotating basis. I particularly enjoyed the parrots perched on buildings along a street which used to be home to pet s...

Local Happenings Roughly 43% of the people using food banks in Saskatchewan are children , more than anywhere else in Canada. Consider making a donation of food or money to the Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre. Most wanted items include baby food and formula, whole grain cereal and pasta, peanut butter, canned fruit and vegetables, and hearty soups and stews. Patrick Mundler, a professor at Laval University, is conducting a research project examining “the impact that direct marketing has on farms, farmers, and local development .” Direct marketing farmers across Canada are invited to complete the survey. In the Kitchen  Here’s a recipe for ratatouille that isn’t “diced, stewed together and sloppy . This method allows all of the vegetables to cook at the same time and melt into each other.” Thoughts to Ponder  “The diverse food experiences of refugees represents all of the complexities of our relationships with food – from health to culture to history...

“This is the place in the North West of England  It’s ace, it’s the best and the songs that we sing From the stands, from our bands set the whole planet shaking  Our inventions are legends! There’s nowt we can’t make”  I really didn’t know what to expect when I signed up for a week-long housesit in Manchester. I knew it was a big industrial centre, but that was it. What I discovered was a bustling city proud of its past, present, and future. I came across a poem, This is the Place , written by Tony Walsh, that encapsulates much of what I learned and felt when I was in Manchester so I’m including some quotations. Industrial City “And we make summat happen, we can’t seem to help it  And if you’re looking for history then yes, we’ve a wealth  But the Manchester way is to make it yourself”  Visit the Museum of Industry and Science and you discover that Manchester was the home of the first railway station, first computer, first television,...

Saskatoon Farmers’ Market Open for Business The Saskatoon Farmers’ Market will remain in its current premises until the end of 2019 . The City of Saskatoon cancelled its search for new tenants when they realized the roof needed major repairs. It’s good news for Farmers’ Market shoppers, but I don’t understand why it took so long for the City to recognize that the building needed repairs. Job Opportunity Jackson Wiebe, Collective Coffee , is looking for a new team leader. Recommend the successful applicant and you’ll get free coffee for a year. Coffee and Donuts Venn Coffee Roasters has Darkside donuts every Saturday and Sunday. Darkside Donuts got a great review in The Globe and Mail this week: “Darkside Donuts uses a blend of Saskatchewan organic flour and heritage-grain flour, the latter of which the baker grinds himself several times a week. . . . ‘There’s an emptiness to regular, bleached white flour,’ the baker says adamantly. ‘I truly believe in the flavour of grai...

  Fair Trade Valentine’s Day Bash, Feb. 22  Enjoy fair trade wine, luscious desserts, and music at the Saskatchewan Council for International Co-operation’s Valentine’s Day Bash from 8-11 pm , Feb. 22. Portuguese Wine Tasting, Feb. 22  Join Doug Reichel Wine Marketing to taste 5 Portuguese wines at 7 pm , Feb. 22, at Metro Liquor. Evening of Jazz, Mar. 2 Join Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation for dinner and live jazz music at the Greenbryre Golf Club on Mar. 2. The Story of the Roxy, Mar. 10  Join the Saskatoon Heritage Society on Mar. 10 for their annual luncheon and silent auction . Randy Pshebylo will discuss the history and development of Riversdale’s “theatrical jewel” – the Roxy Theatre. Tickets can be purchased through e-transfer to saskatoonheritagetreasurer@gmail.com (please include your name, email, and no. of tickets in the message box) or by calling Peggy Sergeant at (306) 652-9801. Seedy Saturday/Sunday & Other Green Thumb Activ...

Global Malnutrition, Feb. 7  The College of Pharmacy & Nutrition is hosting a World Pulses Day roundtable on addressing malnutrition from 4-7 pm , Feb. 7. Best of . . . Chocolate and Desserts Indulge your sweet tooth with a look at the best chocolate shops across Canada and the best restaurants and cafés for desserts in Saskatoon . Food for Thought The Nature of Things with David Suzuki is hosting a series of programs about dietary science and our relationship with food that looks really interesting. When Is a Food Court more than a Food Court? Two trendy new food halls are opening in heritage buildings in Edmonton. “Food halls are the newest concept in the restaurant industry. Prominent in big cities such as Toronto, London and New York, food halls bring together top chefs who collaborate on a complementary eateries in the same space. Distinct from food courts (which tend to favour fast foods for people with some place else to go), food halls are a destination...