Wanderlust and Words

Local News  I love getting freebies! It was so much fun to find a free sample included in my online Saskatoon Farmers’ Market delivery . Thank you Mossbank Farms for the sprouts. They were excellent and I ordered more this week. I’m delighted to see more and more vendors signing up to deliver their products online. Both Grandora Gardens and Simpkins Market Garden , two of my favorite vendors, are now online as well as in-person at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market location on Koyl Avenue. Saskatoon is so fortunate to have a year-round farmers’ market!  Tasty Habits is getting ready for Christmas with boxes of chocolates as well as bars. Sign up for their email newsletter to get a free chocolate bar and a one-time only 10% discount. It’s really good to know that the cocoa beans they are using come “directly from farmers participating in the Cocoa Horizons program.” By purchasing Tasty Habit products, “you are participating in training, financial incentives and community empower...

“I don’t feel very much like Pooh today,” said Pooh. “There, there,” said Piglet. “I’ll bring you tea and honey until you do.” (Winnie the Pooh)  Local News  A huge vote of thanks to all the local businesses that are acting proactively to support the health and safety of each and every one of us by requiring staff and customers to wear a mask: City Perks , Saskatoon Farmers’ Market Co-operative , Sparrow , Steep Hill Food Co-op , The Griffin Takeaway , The Night Oven Bakery ,  Venn Coffee Roasters , and Wanuskewin's visitor centre and restaurant . Let me know of others you’re aware of. I want to support businesses that care about health as well as dollars. It’s a caring gesture and we mustn’t be intimidated by the anti-mask bullies. Assaf Al Hamade opened Al Rabih Brothers Market in July. To ensure that he can serve fresh produce and fresh bread, he travels to Calgary, Edmonton, and Medicine Hat every week. He wants to show other immigrants that they too can start a busin...

“For me, it is luxurious to eat a spoonful of beans, to toast a slice of sourdough, to char an eggplant in its flesh over open fire. Every crystal of sugar, every cup of coffee, every bite of chocolate—these are luxuries; these are precious; these are from the earth and came from someone’s labor.”  ( Alicia Kennedy )  Local News  Supper on the patio at Shift was a delight. I’m giving serious thought to a return visit for a glass of wine and a slice of chocolate cheesecake. The bread pudding (pictured) is also excellent! Eat North is hosting Prairie Grid Market from 9 am-6:30 pm , Sept. 19 , at Agar’s Corner. There will be 25 vendors (food, drink, kitchenware), live music, and bar. Register for a 2-hour time slot with registration capped at 125 people per time slot. In the Kitchen Ratatouille was originally a thin, watery vegetable stew served to soldiers . How it’s changed. “A true ratatouille is a labour of love, with emphasis on labour.”  [eggpl...

Local News  Dad’s Organic Market is now selling products from Victoria, BC’s The Very Good Butchers . I enjoy their products whenever I’m in Victoria and am glad they’re now available in Saskatoon. The next time you’re at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market on Koyl Avenue , be sure to head for the rear of the hall near the exit. Tasty Habits sells rich, flavourful, addictive chocolate! I highly recommend the milk chocolate with nuts, but you can also choose dark chocolate and various other flavours. The chocolate bars are made by Rania Khiralla, a participant in the Saskatoon Open Door Society’s Women’s Business Hub , a program to help entrepreneurial immigrant women get their businesses off the ground. I also recommend the individual cheesecakes from Donna's Delectable Mini-Cheesecakes , also at the Saskatoon Farmers' Market. The Black Forest cheesecake is a personal favorite. Gluten-free versions are also available. Enjoy a picnic in the Bessborough Gardens every Fr...

Local Happenings  Happy New Year! I’m so pleased to see that the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market attracted a good crowd at its first market in its temporary location at 2604 Koyl Avenue. Change is hard, but it’s also an opportunity for renewal. I’m hoping that this move will provide the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market Co-operative with a chance to focus on their long-term goal of connecting the urban public with the source of their food. I look forward to seeing new vendors coming forward who really value that connection with the people who eat their food and new customers who are eager to meet the person who grew or baked their food – whether it’s the farmer who tells you about the hailstorm that played havoc with their crop or the baker who tells you about the Mexican festival origins of their different baked goods. There has been an interesting conversation on City Perks’ Facebook page this past week (Jan. 3 post) about ways of reducing the number of disposable coffee cups. S...

Local Happenings  Dennis Skoworodko of Our Farm will teach you how to make sauerkraut in a fermentation workshop at MakeSpace from 9:30-11 am , Oct. 26 . Celebrate Hallowe’en Mexican style with Pan de Muerto from the Mexican Bakery at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market. Or, enjoy a kiss of strawberry or Saskatoon berry jam with one of their Besos. I’m delighted that Dad’s Organic Market is now carrying some Miyoko’s vegan cheeses made from fermented cashew cream. They’re the best of the bunch in my opinion, especially the smoked and aged farmhouse cheeses. Of course, you may prefer a regular dairy cheese. In which case, I highly recommend Saskatoon Spruce ’s cheese. Be sure to try the smoked variety, which has lots and lots of flavour. Have you tried Black Fox Farm & Distillery ’s haskap gin? It incorporates haskap berries from boreal forests around the world. A percentage of the profits goes to the Saskatchewan branch of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society...

Local Happenings If you’re on Broadway, stop by Beppi’s Gelato for Italian coffee and cake. While you’re there, check out the expanded range of groceries. Beppi’s winter hours are Tuesdays to Sundays , 9:30 am to 8:30 pm . Derek Hooper, winemaker and co-owner of Australia’s biodynamic Cape Jaffa wines, will lead a tasting at Blairmore Co-op Wine Spirits Beer on Oct. 18 . These are lovely wines and I highly recommend this event. Don’t miss the pop-up weekend lunch options at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market . They’re often international in flavour and always reasonably priced. Food for Thought For all you farmers who are looking forward to at least a few more restful hours over the winter, here’s Food Tank’s fall reading list . There’s everything from history lessons on wars caused by food shortages and the history of meals in Christianity to school lunches, a New Orleans cookbook, and wild apples/real cider. Grin! “What I have been doing lately, in a fit of lazine...

Shopping  River Layne Chocolate Couture recently opened a storefront at #39 – 1736 Quebec Avenue. The individual chocolates and bars are works of art and taste delicious too! (photo credit: River Layne) The Saskatoon Co-op Liquor Store on 8th Street has a wide range of wine, both Canadian and international. I was thrilled to find a large assortment of Parés Baltà organic, biodynamic wines made by women winemakers. I was treated like royalty when I visited their vineyard near Barcelona several years ago. NatureCity Festival  May 21-26 is the 7th annual NatureCity Festival with over 60 events organized by 50 different organizations – what an achievement! Here are a couple of food-based events. I’ve listed a number of other interesting events on EcoFriendly Sask . See you at the Festival! The Path to Wild Food – 1-2:30 pm, May 24  Look for edible wild plants, from licorice to sarsaparilla, with Sandra Walker, an ethnobotanist. NatureCity Beer Release...

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...

I took the train from Torquay to Exeter last week. It’s a scenic trip as you are right beside the sea for a significant part of the way with the salt spray coating the train windows and tunnels through some of the rockiest sections. Torquay train station Exeter is a modern city with a bustling city centre with large department stores and chains. However, you can still trace sections of the old city wall as well as view the remains of a castle. There are also some narrow alleyways filled with interesting stores, including a delicious chocolate shop, Chococo. I enjoyed a walk through a large park that is also a green bridge with train tracks and buildings below. A Christmas market was set up in front of Exeter Cathedral. Most of the crafts and products were locally made. I bought a Christmas pudding and fudge. Fudge appears to be a specialty of this region, possibly because Devon cream is so famous.

Caturdays, Nov. 17 & 24, Dec. 1  Enjoy tea in a cat-themed, cat-friendly art gallery at 1 pm , Nov. 17 and 24 and Dec. 1 at BAM Art Gallery. All the cats will be adoptable from Street Cat Rescue. Local Indigenous Food, Nov. 29  Enjoy supper and a presentation on local Indigenous foods at Station 20 West on Nov. 29. Register in advance with Janet at CHEP (306-655-4575 or janet@chep.org) . Marshmallows by Sarah, Nov. 30-Dec. 2  Sarah Galvin, FoodCraft by Sarah , is an excellent cook and baker who puts time and quality ingredients into all her products. She’ll be selling handcrafted marshmallows at Wilson’s 17th Annual Christmas Craft and Trade Show from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2. Marshmallow flavours include Crème Brulée and Rocky Road with Peace by Chocolate Chunks. Deluxe marshmallows - photo credit Sarah Galvin Make Your Own Chocolate Kit  Make your own raw chocolate with a kit from Harmonic Arts - now available at Dad’s Organic Market . From Fr...

Crepe Bar Pop-Up, Nov. 3  Crossing Cultures Catering is hosting a pop-up crepe bar at Revolve Café from 11 am-2 pm , Nov. 3. Rosco’s Roti, Nov. 9 Rosco’s Roti is hosting a pop-up lunch at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market from 11 am-2 pm , Nov. 9, with both vegan and meat curries. CHEP Good Food Box  The Saskatoon Farmers’ Market is now a depot for CHEP’s Good Food Box program offering good quality, fresh produce at affordable prices every two weeks. Kit Kat in Japan The New York Times offers an in-depth look at how Kit Kat chocolate bars became a booming business in Japan , changing expectations about what a candy bar should be. The flavour options are astonishing and are often only available in one particular city. What started out as the British workingman’s chocolate bar has achieved cult status with gift-wrapped packages of luxury varieties. Tea presented well at City Perks coffee shop - and don't miss the peanut butter and white chocolate cookies - yum!...

Food Photography You have two opportunities in the next few months to improve your food photography skills. Sept. 12 with Renée Kohlman Oct. 17 with Bob Deutscher Chef Mike McEown Chef Mike McEown (former owner of Prairie Harvest Café) is now an evening chef at Boffins restaurant, Innovation Place . Good luck, Mike! I hope you’re enjoying your new job. Rosthern Barley If you’re interested in beer and local food production, be sure to read Cathy Engel’s post about Maker’s Malt . Saskatoon Chocolate-Makers Saskatoon chocolatiers : Those Girls at the Market make great chocolate, but I wasn’t familiar with River Layne Chocolate Couture – I’ll definitely be on the lookout for them when I’m back in Saskatoon. Common Ground A Newcomer from Kenya has opened a pastry shop selling African delicacies under a local label . As people said the mandazi reminded them of bannock, she’s called her store Yvema’s Bannock House. Sunken Plum, Spelt, and Ginger Cake This cake recipe ...

Starting Your Zero-Waste Journey, Jan. 24 Cassandra Stinn will share her insights on going zero waste from 7-8:30 pm , Jan. 24, at Soul Foods Conscious Grocer. Cooking with Beer, Feb. 2 Make a 3-course meal using 9 Mile Legacy’s beer at The Local Kitchen on Feb. 2. Community Farmers’ Market Now here’s a positive thought! Community Farmers’ Market has posted its 2018 opening date – Tuesday, June 19 . Aschenti Cocoa  Aschenti Cocoa chocolate bars are now available at McNally Robinson Booksellers. A Winnipeg company, they source their cocoa directly from small local farms in Cameroon. The cacao is grown without chemicals and only the best beans are shipped to Winnipeg where they are roasted in small batches. Flavours include Cinnamon & Ginger and Almonds & Himalayan Pink Salt. Reinventing the Wheel  I’ve been slowly digesting an in-depth, comprehensive book about the factors that are involved in cheese-making. Reinventing the Wheel: Milk, Microbe...

Question: What’s the best way to explore an area of London and satisfy your sweet tooth?  Answer: Sign up for a tour with Lynne Staartjes of Sweet Tooth Tours !  Lynne is a Cordon Bleu-trained baker who loves interacting with people, so she decided to establish Sweet Tooth Tours in July of last year to share some of her favorite food businesses in her home neighbourhood of Belgravia, London. The tour groups are always small, but I was extremely fortunate to receive a personal tour as the other participants had had to cancel due to illness. Belgravia is a pretty neighbourhood with tall white stucco townhouses mingling with a variety of small, independent stores and restaurants. We started our tour at R Chocolates , founded by Sir Evelyn de Rothschild, a self-confessed chocoholic, in 1931. A quiet, elegant store, this would be a great place for afternoon tea or a box of chocolates. The hot chocolate is absolutely delicious – chocolate flakes and roasted and g...