Flavourful Saskatoon, December 14, 2020


“Now winter nights enlarge the number of their hours . . . Let now the chimneys blaze, and cups o'erflow with wine.” (Now Winter Nights Enlarge, Thomas Campion)

Local News 
I made a donation to Food Not Bombs Saskatoon recently. Just a quick look at the polite requests for food on their Facebook group are a reminder that so many people don’t have enough to eat, and the situation has only become worse during Covid. "Food Not Bombs shares free vegan and vegetarian meals with the hungry in over 1,000 cities around the world every week to protest war, poverty and the destruction of the environment." You can make an online donation to Food Not Bombs Saskatoon at fnbsaskatoon@gmail.com

You may be interested in the Covid-19 Resource Guide the Saskatoon group has prepared.  

In the Kitchen 
I’m delighted to learn from David Lebovitz that vegetarianism is becoming more popular in France. And his recipe for Faux Gras with its mix of lentils, mushrooms, and nuts looks very tasty. Lebovitz says, “Everyone that tasted it remarked on how good it was and how much it tasted like foie gras, in spite of the fact that there isn’t a whiff of meat in it.”

If you’re still searching for gift ideas, Mely Martinez, a Mexican food blogger, recommends various homemade gifts from the Mexican kitchen. 

I’ve been turning my nose up at curry powder and buying specialty curry mixes. But maybe I shouldn’t be so quick to turn my back on an ingredient that has moved on from its colonialist origins and can now be found in Hong Kong teahouses, German hot dog stands, and Trinidadian roti shops. “Though its history is unquestionably fraught, there’s an equally important, and often overlooked, story of curry powder’s assimilation and adaptation into cuisines worldwide.” 


Pandemic Impact 
Online grocery sales are way up; so are home cooking (with lots of spices) and homemade craft cocktails. But what will the new year bring? “After months of binge-baking, drinking more and indulging in quarantine comfort foods, our findings show that the pendulum is swinging the other way as online consumers set their sights on a new year full of bolder flavors, lower-alcohol cocktails and resolution-friendly keto snacks.” 

Between the Covers 
Food Tank lists 26 children’s books that demonstrate how food from around the world can show love, bring together communities, pass on traditions, and teach lessons. 

Flavourful Saskatoon is a weekly Monday feature. I also post articles about food that is good, clean and fair; travel; and books. You may also enjoy EcoFriendly Sask profiling Saskatchewan nature/environmental initiatives and events. 

You can follow Wanderlust and Words on Facebook, Twitter, or by email (top right corner).

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