Savour Life Magazine is on Holiday until the week of September 6-10, when we will be back with more great Saskatchewan News!  Have a great Summer!

Our Saskatoon Correspondent is on Holiday.

The Wheatland Café Renews for a 5th Season ACROSS SASKATCHEWAN – The popular noontime cooking show, The Wheatland Café, returns for a fifth season on CTV. Cooking host CJ Katz will be back cooking up delicious meal solutions that are made from scratch but are simple and quick to prepare. A big focus on the past two seasons has been showcasing Saskatchewan food and local producers and that focus will continue this season. Angel Blair will be back cooking with CJ after a year on maternity leave. The new season starts on Wednesday September 8th. Tune into CTV across the province at 12:15 every Wednesday.

Oatstanding Bakery Closes REGINA – It’s a sad day when a business closes and even sadder one when a business with a quality product closes. Last Friday July 23rd, Oatstanding Bakery, owned by Rob Fuller closed its doors. According to Manager Angela Fuller, a big problem was Health Canada not permitting the company to list the product, which is made with uncontaminated oats, as Gluten Free. Uncontaminated oats (oats never grown near crops that contain gluten), are for all intents and purposes gluten free. Health Canada has very strict guidelines regarding health claims and only a handful of ingredients fall into that category. What is particularly sad about this closure is it leaves a big hole in the gluten-free market across the West, where Oatstanding distributed their products. It’s extremely difficult for those who have a gluten digestion issue to get enough fibre in their diet and oats fit the bill superbly. Oatstanding Bakery is selling the formulation for all of their products as well as all bakery equipment. There is also a 3-year lease left on the building if you’re looking for space. For more information, contact the bakery at (306) 565-6287.

Italian Star Taking a Holiday REGINA – Owner Carlo Giambattista and his family will be taking a well-deserved vacation from September 6 – 19th. During this time, the popular deli will be closed. Make sure you stock up all those good things before then.

Regina Farmer’s Market News

• SunEarthYou (also known as “The Sprout Guy”) will soon be selling frozen wheatgrass shots. Make Henry Dyck’s booth your last stop when leaving the market. They will be sold in 1 oz shots. Just take them home and pop them in the freezer. Add a frozen cube to smoothies for quick boost.
• FarmGate Food is back selling eggs again. My suggestion would be the preorder as these sell really, really fast. They also have Berkshire pork and lamb, which you can also pre-order. Contact FarmGate at www.farmgatefood.ca.
• Lincoln Gardens is bursting with produce. If you’re looking for some different veggies, try their orange beets (don’t forget to cook up the beet greens. They are incredibly nutritious.), red carrots and yellow zucchini.
• Over the Hill Orchards has fresh sour cherries for sale. They are not pitted because pitted cherries are highly perishable. No worries though. I hand pitted 2 ½ cups in just 10 minutes. These cherries make the most delicious pie!
• Lajord Colony has orange cauliflower. Market Manager Ada Bennett says it has a creamy buttery taste.
• Golden Prairie has many cuts of wild boar as well as sausages.
• And here’s some interesting news – the market may soon have a vendor next year selling goat cheese. We’ll keep you posted on that development when it happens.

0 Comments CJ Katz submitted 38 days ago

Time for Saskatoons and Great Pie!

• REGINA – Beginning this Saturday July 24 and running through Wednesday July 28th and ending on Saturday July 31st you can dig into a slice of locally baked and made Saskatoon Berry pie at the Regina Farmer's Market. Just $5 will get you a delicious slice of pie along with a cup of coffee or juice. All pies are baked by market vendors. Gluten free and diabetic pie is available. This year, all proceeds benefit the Regina Home Economics for Living Project. The market is open from 9:30 am to 1:30 am and is located at Regina City Hall.
• And speaking of Saskatoons, check around for Pick Your Own orchards to spend an outing with family picking a great Saskatchewan product. Saskatoons are now ready for picking.
• Ada Bennett, manager of the Regina Farmer’s Market says that “Saskatoons are coming in strongly at the Market. Tyler Weisbrod on the corner of McIntrye and Victoria has at least 200 pails. Ed and Linda Schropp of Linda's Jams and Jellies on Smith Street reported that they would be bringing in a large amount as well. Ada says she had some at last market, and they are so sweet this year.
• Bernard Callebaut now has delicious Saskatoon-Berry chocolates. Imagine a berry puree in a milk-chocolate boat, sprinkled with white chocolate. According to David Loblaw, owner of the Regina location, tourists go crazy and buy anything containing Saskatoons.”

Bruno Cherry Festival This Weekend BRUNO – If love the taste of Saskatchewan-grown cherries, take in The Cherry Festival this weekend in Bruno. This is the 8th year the festival has run and it promises to be “the premium celebration of the Cherry for the Prairies.” The event runs Saturday and Sunday and includes a Country Supper on Saturday evening. For compete information on the event, go to www.cherryfestival.ca

Visit a Fruit Orchard LUMSDEN – If you’ve never visited Over the Hill Orchards and seen how Dean and Sylvia Kreutzer grow their many varieties of fruit, now’s your chance. Their property is located just outside Lumsden and everytime I visit there I think I’m in paradise. The couple is offering tours of their orchard every Sunday this summer. Cost is $10 per person and includes a homemade slice of their Prairie Cherry Pie. Tours last about 1 to 1 ½ hours and must be prebooked. There will also be plants available for purchase. Contact Dean at (306) 530-9133 to make arrangements.

Catriona le May Doan Named Gold Medal Plates Ambassador SASKATOON – Stephen Leckie, CEO and Co-founder of Gold Medal Plates has announced that Catriona le May Doan has confirmed that she will stand as this year's Honourary Ambassador for Gold Medal Plates in Saskatoon. “We, as I am sure the City of Saskatoon and the Province of Saskatchewan, are delighted with this development!” says Stephen. The first-ever Gold Medal Plates Saskatoon-Saskatchewan will take place October 30th, 2010. If you are interested in purchasing tickets to this event, click here.

Awesome Trips and Culinary Tours

• Exploring Turkey: Savour Life Magazine’s Saskatoon writer, Darlene Gulas Bomok and her husband Leon will be hosting an expedition to Turkey. Their tour - Exploring Turkey – will include shopping in the markets, enjoying Middle Eastern cuisine and experiencing it all within the comfort and well-being of a guided tour from April 19th to April 30th, 2011. You’ll be travelling to Istanbul, Cappadocia, Derinkuyu, Pamukkale, Kusadasi, Ephesus, Sardis, Pergamum, and Troy. Price is $3630.00 (single supplement of $350.00) which includes international airfare from Saskatoon to Istanbul return; entry visa for Turkey; all taxes; all transfers; Comprehensive Travel Insurance; breakfasts and dinners; accommodation in four star hotels; flight ticket from Istanbul to Cappadocia; 24/7 English-speaking professional Turkish guide; deluxe motor-coach for all transfers and touring (as per itinerary); entrance to all archaeological sites and museums (as per itinerary) along with Leon and Darlene’s personalized services throughout the tour. If you would like to see the itinerary and receive payment information, email Leon at leonbomok@hotmail.com or call Darlene at 306-934-6815 ASAP (airline tickets need to be purchased soon).
• Tahiti and French Polynesia: Capture bliss! Sail with CAA to paradise on the annual CAA Chairman of the Board cruise to the South Pacific. Travel aboard the Royal Princess, February 21st, on a small ship voyage that’s larger than life. Visit islands that have names in classic yarns of sailors, pirates and buried treasure! View swaying palms, white sands, and the aqua coloured water than defies description. To find out more, contract your local CAA travel office or 1-800-564-6222.

Looking for a Knock-Out Event to Attend? Here are some to keep you busy this summer.

• REGINA – The summer edition of the Battle of the Breweries Beer Tasting Event coming up on August 31st at The Bushwakker Brew Pub is sold out, but don’t dispair, tickets for the fall edition go on sale on August 31st at the Bushwakker. According to marketing manager Grant Frew, “the underdog, Bell's Brewery of Kalamazoo, Michigan takes on the powerful heavyweight, Brooklyn Brewery from New York. Don't count out the underdog just yet for there is strength in numbers. Should be one "knock-out" event!”
• REGINA/SASKATOON – Beginning Sunday, July 18th at 12 noon until closing on Tuesday July 27th, 2010 all Regina Brewsters Brewing Company & Restaurant locations will be participating in the CBCF (Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation) “Paint Canada Pink Week.” Twenty-five cents from each "Pink Pint" sold will go to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. This is the second year that Brewsters will be participating in this initiative.
• REGINA/SASKATOON - For the fourth year Saverio Schiralli Agency Ltd. Will be donating 50 cents from each bottle of Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio sold at select SLGA stores in Regina and Saskatoon to the Scotiabank AIDS Walk across Canada. The campaign begins on August 15 and runs until September 11. To date over $100,000 has been raised for the charity.

EMMA International Collaboration Auction NEAR BIG RIVER - The 2010 EMMA International Collaboration will be holding its dispersal auction on Sunday, August 1 at the Ness Creek Festival Site near Big River. The event will feature local and world-renowned craft artists for a week of collaborative creation,” said Mark Stobbe, Saskatchewan Craft Council Executive Director. “At the end of the week, we hold an auction to sell the art that has been created.” This year 100 artists from six provinces and 18 states will be participating, along with artists from Great Britain, France, Romania and New Zealand. The auction is on Sunday August 1 beginning at 2 pm. “To make it easier for people to get to the auction, we’ve booked a charter bus. It will be leaving Saskatoon at 9 am, and returning after the auction,” said Stobbe. Tickets are $30, and include return transportation, a gourmet lunch, and an interpretive presentation about EMMA. For information call 306-653-3616 ext. 0 or scc.director@sasktel.net. Also, check out www.saskcraftcouncil.org.

0 Comments CJ Katz submitted 44 days ago

Orange Izakaya Now Open with Full Menu REGINA – Orange Fusion Café and Bar (also known as Orange Izakaya) opened with a full menu this week offering breakfast, lunch and dinner. Orange Izakaya is located in the former Café Orange/Kitchen Toys and Tools location in Cathedral Village on Robinson St. It’s still a coffee shop with the full gamut of coffees and steamers and a few pastry options but it’s also offering traditional Canadian breakfast. Lunch is available from 11 am onward when the menu moves from a Canadian theme to mostly Korean with 9-item menu with such traditional dishes as Bi-Bim-Bab, Bulgogi Dup Bap, Don Katsu and a Kalbi burger. At 4 pm, the menu switches to a more Japanese theme with tapas (izakaya) dishes. The 16-item menu features such dishes as Kushi Yaki (prawn and scallop with sauce), Unagi (grilled eel with unagi sauce), various sushi rolls, Okonomi Yaki (Japanese pancake), Tako Yaki (Japanese style deep fried octopus ball), Geso Karaage (deep fried squid leg) and more. Prices for lunch range from $9 to $13, and for tapas between $4-$14. On our visit there we tried the miso soup which comes with tofu and seaweed, the Geso Karaage, which we liked very much – very, very lightly breaded with an interesting garlicky rice wine vinaigrette. We also had the Bi-Bim-Bab which is Bulgogi and vegetables serves with rice and a side of hot sauce, and the Chicken Teriyaki which comes on a bed of sitr-fried cabbage, onion, carrots and broccoli and a rice. Portions for lunch are very large. Currently the restaurant is without a liquor licence, which they expect to have the first week of August. Until then, hours are Mon-Fri 8 am – 8 pm, Sat 9 am – 9 pm, and Sun 10 am – 8 am.

Saskatchewan Lentils Make Their Way to Chicago SASKATOON – Move aside deep-dish pizza, Canadian lentils are making their way into the diets of North Americans. The Saskatchewan Pulse Growers are down in Chicago this week promoting the health benefits of Canadian grown lentils as a nutritious whole food ingredient at the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting and Food Expo. Research has shown that lentils grown in Canada are high in fibre and protein, and micronutrients such as iron, zinc, selenium, and beta carotene. One ½ cup serving of cooked lentils provides 36% of your daily recommended fibre intake and 38% of your protein intake. Lentils recently hit the news when Dr. Al Slinkard several weeks ago received the Governor General’s Award In Celebration of the Nation’s Table for the development of the Eston and Laird lentil varieties. If you’re looking to increase lentils in your diet try lentil flour. Research is showing that lentil flour can be incorporated into in a variety of foods such as crackers, pasta and puffed snacks.

Cold Stone Arrives in Saskatchewan REGINA – When a new ice cream shops opens, the city is starts salivating and lining up for great ice cream. This ice cream may not be local and Cold Stone Creamery may be a franchise… but boy is it good. So far the franchise hasn’t compromised on the creamy mouthfeel we expect in ice cream which explains that glee people feel when they line-up to dig into some darn good ice cream. Cold Stone, if you’re not familiar with the concept, is ice cream that you can add “custom” add ons to. A signature element of the concept is a frozen granite countertop where staff fold your add ons into the ball of ice cream. I had the Berry Berry Berry ice cream - Sweet Cream ice cream into which real strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are folded in. My son also chose the Sweet Cream ice cream but add in fresh Oreo cookies and chopped almonds. Cold Stone in Regina is located inside the Tim Horton’s at the corner of Prince of Wales Drive and Hwy #1. A second location opened today (Friday) in Kindersley. Additional locations are planned inside Tim Horton’s in other areas of Saskatchewan.

Toontown Smokedown for BBQ Lovers! SASKATOON – If you love BBQ then you’ll want to take in the second annual Toontown Smokedown on August 21-22, 2010 at River Landing (same location at the Saskatoon Farmer’s Market). Pitmasters from across Western Canada will be competing for prizes and cold hard cash! These cooks stoke their fires all night, providing tender loving care to their beef briskets, pork shoulders, chicken, and pork ribs. Starting at 11:00 on Sunday, they turn in their results to a panel of certified BBQ judges who score them on appearance, tenderness, and taste. It's a competitive battle to see who will emerge as Grand Champion! There will be real Southern BBQ cooking for sale from Saskatchewan's best BBQ cooks. There will be lots of activities to enjoy. Bring the whole family down for an afternoon of savoury, smokey, saucy good times! According to organizers there is representation from all four Western Canadian provinces and if all goes well, they will be able to bump up the prize money to make this event the highest cash pool for any competition in Canada. To find out more about being on a team or becoming a judge, visit the Toontown Smokedown site at www.saskatoonbbq.com. 

New Chef at Hotel Saskatchewan REGINA - The Hotel Saskatchewan has announced the arrival of their new Executive Chef - Milton Rebello. Chef Rebello comes with nearly twenty years experience in the food industry including working with chefs in India, Dubai, Bahrain, Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, Doha, and the United States. He pursued his education with Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island and worked with 'Four' star restaurants in New York and Connecticut. He is a Journeyman Red Seal Chef and has worked in leadership roles with Coast, Fairmont and Westin Hotels in Canada.  

0 Comments CJ Katz submitted 51 days ago

NEW RESTAURANT: Tangerine
REGINA – Last week, Tangerine Food Bar, located at 2234 – 14th Avenue in Regina (next to Nature’s Best) opened its doors. The eat-in take-out place is the latest business venture for Aimee Schulhauser of Evolution Catering. Walk in and you’ll be greeted to a wall size chalkboard with whatever they’ve chosen to make up that day. Expect a different experience every time you go. On our visit this week, we tried a selection of salads – Lemon-dill spinach and couscous; Beet with feta and spicy pepitas; Tomato, black bean and smoked mozzarella; and Curried lentil, wild rice and orzo salad. For sandwiches we tried a Southwestern Chicken wrap; and Roasted Veggies and Goat Cheese on Focaccia. We even tried a Pop-tart (blueberry), and a Brownie with cream cheese. Everything at Tangerine is fresh and made from scratch. They are open 7 am to 7 pm Monday to Friday; Saturday 9 am – 4 pm, and closed Sunday. Check their website daily for menu options at www.tangerineregina.ca

Orange Izakaya Soon to Serve Full Menu
REGINA – It’s been a long opening for John Oh, one of the owners of Orange Fusion Café and Bar (formerly Café Orange/Kitchen Toys and Tools) located on Robinson St just a few doors down from Bernard Callebaut Chocolates. John tells us that the hold up has been getting all the plumbing done. The place opened a few weeks back selling only coffee and pastries. Next Monday he expects to be open for lunch and dinner offering Japanese and Korean specialties. Although Izakaya means Japanese tapas, Orange will be serving full meals, including the popular Korean BBQ.

A Symbiotic Relationship: Jazz Festival and St. Tropez Bistro
SASKATOON - St. Tropez Bistro, at 238 Second Avenue South, and the Jazz Festival seem to resonate and attract folks to experience both together. St. Tropez (306-652-1250) has been around a long time and their formula of fresh and simple, tinged with the exotic such as Thai or the spice of jalepeno and cilantro, has guaranteed a loyal clientele through the years. Re-visit the Tropez and you might find a previous favourite or something completely different. Both could happen. During the Jazz Festival, you may even see a performer or two or at the very least, an organizer or three.

Market Finds

• REGINA – Here are some new “finds” at the Regina Farmer’s Market this week.
  • Fresh local strawberries at Over The Hill Orchards and Heliotrope
  • Mini Eggplant at Kan-Gro
  • Spicy Stout Mustard at Scandinavian Sweethearts
  • Baby Potatoes and Peas at Lajord Colony
• SASKATOON – Living Soil Farms at the Saskatoon Farmer's Market is now selling poutine made with certified organic purple potato fries topped with authentic cheese curds and gravy made by another market vendor, the Sous Chef. Condiments such as ketchup and BBQ are from Souleio.

Bits and Bytes

• REGINA/SASKATOON – Looking for a refreshing drink this summer? Drop into Cuppa T in Regina (13th Ave) or Saskatoon (Lawson Heights Mall) and ask about iced teas and sun teas. Both locations can help you choose a Summer favorite. At the Saskatoon location, you can drop in for a cool and refreshing iced tea on the go.
• REGINA – Speaking of tea, a new tea store has opened in the Cornwall Centre – Davids Teas. They are located on the second floor near Booster Juice. They have a huge selection of loose teas plus tea “stuff” such as teapots, cups, doodads, and more.
• ACROSS SASKATCHEWAN – Sobeys has announced that effective July 2, 2010, their grocery stores will be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (except in Manitoba where stores there will close at 6 pm on Sundays.)
• SASKATOON – Saskatoon Farmer's Market merchants only (not the farmers), Garlic Guru, Sous Chef, Giuseppi's at the Market, Cava Cuisine and Riverbend Plantation Market Cafe are extending their hours on the weekends. As of Saturday, July 3rd they will be open 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. and on Sundays from noon to 5:00 P.M.
• SASKATOON - Saskatonians will have noticed that the Uptown Market on the corner of Second Avenue North and 23rd Street East has closed. With some new investment, there is hope that it may re-open over the summer.
• NEW ORLEANS – According to www.plateonline.com (June 29/10) New Orleans Chef Susan Spicer, of Bayona has spearheaded a class-action lawsuit against BP “for damages to restaurants that have lost normal seafood supplies since the April 20 explosion of BP's deepwater oil rig”.
• REGINA - One of Regina's long-standing restaurants, India House has closed and will be reopening as a sushi place. 

0 Comments CJ Katz submitted 60 days ago