I love food, and food is one of my favourite things about Saskatoon. As a fairly small city in the grand scheme of things, I feel like our restaurant options and the number of local producers here is pretty incredible. I eat out a lot, and I go for the local guys as often as possible. I enjoy atmospheres that are personality-injected and slightly off-beat, and flavours that are unique.
I think it is so important to remember that the food scene in Saskatoon is of such a high quality, and is so diverse, because of the people behind the growing, the preparing, the cooking, the presenting. One thing I love about the Farmers' Market is being able to see the face of the person who grew or raised the food that I purchase. Lately I've been hearing more about the talented Saskatonians who are behind the best restaurants in Saskatoon, and it makes me enjoy the food and the ambience of these local spots all the more.
I recently came across a really great local blog about- you guessed it- food. Saskatoon-written, no less. What I love about this blog is not its gorgeous, mouth-watering, hunger inducing food photography, and not the enticing recipes that go along with the photographs. It's not the engaging local restaurant reviews. It's the person behind this blog, whom I have never met, but who's personality and obvious true love for food is evident on every page. If you love Saskatoon food as I do, and enjoy feeling that connection to the locals behind it, pay sweetsugarbean a visit. I promise you will be inspired. I've added a little bit about its author, Renée Kohlman, below. This was taken straight from sweetsugarbean, and I hope reading it will encourage you to click through to her blog.
Photo Credit: Renée Kohlman
Sweetsugarbean is a combination of my favourite things: cooking, food photography and writing. Cooking from scratch is one of the best things you can do for yourself and those you love, and I'm so happy to share my recipes with you. I'm super fortunate to make a living doing what I love...and to be in the food industry for as long as I have, you really do have to LOVE it. I've worked in various corners of the professional kitchen, most recently taking the position of pastry chef at a brand new gluten free/nut free/organic/whole foods restaurant here in Saskatoon called Leyda's. Food truly is my passion, and I don't stop living it once I leave the work kitchen. I still come home and cook for myself, family and friends. Eating well, using as many fresh and local ingredients as possible, means the world to me. I feel most at home in my little green kitchen; it's where I feel grounded and happy. Be it boiling chicken stock for soup, or whipping up a batch of whole wheat biscuits on a Sunday morning, these simple pleasures are a part of my everyday life. With a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Art and a diploma in Culinary Arts, my interest and education in both these areas are reflected on these pages. I'm a self-taught photographer and I use a Canon A520, as well as my iPhone to take the photos.
Photo Credit: Renée Kohlman
My Mom is a fantastic cook, and I was always in the kitchen with her as a young girl. Baking cookies since I was about 10, I've eaten my fair share of cookie dough! We ate really well growing up, and living on a farm for the first 7 years of my life, I learned early on where food comes from. Some of my earliest memories are running through tall rows of corn, digging up potato plants to unearth the treasures beneath, and sitting on my pet calf "Susie". The connection between farm and fork is something I believe strongly in. My own garden plot is a busy place, and there is nothing better than picking lettuce, or a cucumber or a tomato that you seeded by hand, watered and watch grow.
Photo Credit: Renée Kohlman
For the recipes in this blog I try to use all good quality, natural ingredients - local and organic if possible. Butter always, never margarine! When you start with good, wholesome products, you will make good, wholesome food. My garden is a busy place in the summer/fall and many of the vegetables will appear on these pages. If I can't grow it, I'll often pick it up from the local farmer's market, where excellent farmers are doing excellent work. Most recipes "come from my head", but I will give credit if I adapt it from another source. Inspiration often comes from just looking inside the fridge and seeing that I have a pound of apples, half a block of cream cheese and some puff pastry to use up. I hate throwing food out, so "clean out the fridge days" usually turn into tasty treats! Baking and desserts often appear here, only because I have a horrible sweet tooth and I love to bake with all my heart. While I do joke about loving butter and bacon (a lot!) I also try to make food that is healthy and not too fussy. I'm a comfort food kind of girl, so I can guarantee you will not see anything on the blog about foie gras or truffle oil. Cheese and chocolate, that's another story.
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