Flavourful Saskatoon, November 13, 2017


International Bazaar, Nov. 18
Saskatoon Open Door Society is hosting an international bazaar on Nov. 18. There will be food, crafts, and entertainment.

Wine & Chocolate, Dec. 2 
Sample Okanagan’s Karat Chocolate made by former Saskatonian, Julian Helman, paired with wine on Dec. 2 at Co-op Wine Spirits Beer. Helman was recently named the 2017 Chocolatier of the Year.

Most Wanted Food Items 
Saskatoon Food Bank and the Friendship Inn are always looking for donations. Here are lists of their most wanted food items:

Saskatoon Food Bank (from peanut butter and whole-grain pasta to baby food and formula)

Friendship Inn (from home-grown fruit and vegetables to monthly donations or sponsoring a meal)

Getting Kids to Eat the Good Stuff
Plants to Plates Activity Guide includes 8 food-themed sessions with hands-on activities to build kids’ confidence in preparing and growing food and making healthy food choices. It can be downloaded for free.

Are Hydroponics Organic? 
The answer isn’t as straightforward as you might think. No, they may not be using pesticides, but this opens the door for massive hydroponic operations such as Driscoll’s to call themselves organic without addressing the full organic mandate. “At its core, say those activists, organic food is about an entire ecosystem: taking care of the soil, recharging nutrients with crop rotation, providing for natural pollinators and pest control. It is a way for farming, which can often be ecologically destructive, to work with the planet.”


Shrink Your Carbon Footprint – Eat Plants
Two scientists have done the math and say that switching to a plant-based diet can make a big difference. “Wynes found going from omnivore to vegetarian could reduce your personal carbon emissions by about 0.8 tonnes per year — a bigger difference than replacing your gasoline-powered car with a hybrid. Going from omnivore to vegan would reduce your emissions by 0.9 tonnes per year.”

 For those of you who don’t want to give up meat, the arguments for and against grass-fed beef are complicated. But the bottom line remains the same – if you want to protect the environment, you should eat less meat.

2018 Food Trends 
Whole Foods looked into its crystal ball and came up with a list of food trends for 2018. Take a look and see which ones interest you. Root to stem and an increased focus on mushrooms sound good to me.

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 environmental initiatives and events. 

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