Flavourful Saskatoon, January 7, 2013

Computers = Cheese
Are you a computer whiz? Do you love cheese? Then, you should contact Sharon McDaniel at Herschel Hills Artisan Cheese House. She makes awesome cheese but could do with some technical help setting up her computer programs.

Are you a Lucky Bastard?
LB Distillers is hiring someone to cover their retail store front and lend a hand with a multitude of other tasks. If you’re interested, send your résumé to lucky@luckybastard.ca.

Rainbow Carrot Gratin
Here’s a great recipe to showcase the rainbow-coloured carrots from Wally’s Urban Market Garden.

Balsamic Vinegar
Balsamic vinegar is believed to originate in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. In its early days, it was only available to the nobility and was believed to be a miracle cure for everything from a sore throat to labour pains (hence the name - “balm”).

Balsamic vinegar is an aged reduction of unfermented grapes. Authentic balsamic vinegar is only made by members of two consortiums in Modena, Italy, where it is aged in a series of progressively smaller wooden casks. Every year it reduces in volume through evaporation. (The Nibble has a long, informative article.)

Wineries sometimes produce balsamic vinegar as an offshoot of their main operation. My family really likes Rozendal Vinegar from South Africa. Rozendal is a biodynamic winery. Their vinegars are made from a Bordeaux blend of Merlot and Cabernet grapes and are naturally fermented in small oak barrels for 12 years. They are infused with organic herbs, including hibiscus, lavender, green tea and fynbos.

Rozendal Vinegar is available at Ingredients Artisan Market and directly from Fine Wines Saskatchewan.

Fixing the Food System: 13 Resolutions for 2013
Danielle Nierenberg and Ellen Gustafson offer 13 resolutions for improving the way we grow, distribute, prepare and consume the food we eat: Urban Farming, Better Access, Eat What You Recognize, More Home Cooking, Share a Meal, Eat Your Vegetables, Stop the Waste, Engage Young People, Protect Workers, Farmers Are Important, Government Policies, Change the Metrics, and Fix the Broken Food System.

Gustafson and Nierenberg are co-founders of the Food Think Tank, which hopes to be a powerful voice in the battle to end hunger and obesity and improve nutrition.

Bread: The Staff of Life
I love good bread – chewy, flavourful, aromatic bread – so I’m delighted to learn that there is a gourmet bread renaissance.

Here's a list of the best new bakeries in America, high-end bread pairings, and seven dips & exotic breads.

They forgot to mention Earth Bound Bakery on 8th Street - not to worry, we'll keep that tasty secret for ourselves!

How to Become a Great Food Writer
Timothy Ferriss offers a column by Jeannette Ferrary on how to be a great food writer, including a list of books and resources.

From Waste to Opportunity
Entrepreneurs are turning food waste into economic opportunity – from jams and chutneys from surplus fruit to mushroom-growing kits using discarded coffee grounds.

Flavourful Saskatoon is a weekly Monday feature. I also post regular profiles of culinary entrepreneurs, new restaurants and new food products.

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Comments

Wow, Penny! What a great blog. : ) I did not know that about Balsamic Vinegar. I'm going to have to come here more often and read through...

Have a great sun-shiny day!

Monika in Saskatoon

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