Day 4 – September 27, 2016

We left Winnipeg at 10:00 am. Destination Saskatoon, Saskatchewan via Hwy #1, the Trans Canada Highway, and 827 kms away. When we arrived at the Delta hotel last night, Angela told the reception agent that she owed her friend, me, a Starbucks latte, and where was the nearest location. The agent was empathetic and gave Angela a card for a complimentary Starbucks latte. This morning we were off on another adventure with my latte in hand. It’s the little things that help with a long journey, like good coffee.

The landscape has changed dramatically from when we started on this trip. Here it’s all about big blue skies with white billowy clouds, entertainment in itself, and expansive fields with brush that has turned golden hues with the crisp autumn weather.

Today’s theme is about roots because we are heading to Angela’s home town of Saskatoon. I don’t know much about Saskatchewan and want to know more.  Since I started on this inward journey about 20 years ago, I yearned to dig deeper and find out more about my roots. That’s when I went with my dad and aunt Helen to visit my uncle Rondy in Chemanius BC to find out our family’s history. I’m glad I did because my dad, aunt Helen and uncle Rondy have passed away and I am left with what they recounted verbally to me from what they could remember.  I am left to pass on what I remember to others and one of the reasons I wrote my book The Accidental Chef to do that.

Caroline: Tell me more about Saskatoon?

Angela: I was born in Saskatoon at the Royal University Hospital. Saskatoon has a population of 225, 000 and the city is the biggest in the province. I know a lot about the University of Saskatchewan so I can talk about that. I did my BA and started my doctoral studies there. My father teaches there and my brother does as well. My brother Gabriel with special needs used to go the university farm often and help milk the cows.

The University of Saskatchewan was first established around 1906 to meet the needs of the region which was largely agricultural and thus the first discipline was agriculture. Later on, the school of domestic science was developed so that women could go to university. It doesn’t exist anymore. It’s a beautiful campus, largely Greystone buildings. John Diefenbaker, a Prime Minister, is buried there.

Gordie Howe is from Saskatoon.  Joni Mitchell went to high school in Saskatoon.  The Wide Mouth Mason band did too.

People in Saskatchewan love their hockey and their football, the Saskatchewan Roughriders. I didn’t come from a sports fanatic family though the whole family watched when the game when the Saskatchewan Roughriders brought home the Grey Cup.

There are lots of small festivals, including the popular jazz festival and fringe festival.

What do you like most about Saskatoon?

Home. My family and dear old friends. The river is beautiful. The university campus. Broadway Avenue is the trendy street with the Broadway Theatre. Steep Hill, a natural food coop, is on that street and my godmother runs it. My friend Peter Garden runs the Turning the Tide independent book store off Broadway. I like the farmer’s market which has thrived since I’ve left. The city has changed and expanded a lot since I left there 12 years.

Caroline: How do you think where you came and your background from has influenced you today?

Angela: The socialist cooperative roots in Saskatchewan and the importance of building community always stuck with me. This was important in driving me to do what I do.

I also feel it’s important to be connected to where food comes from.  My father loved growing fresh produce in his garden. I grew up with an older brother who has a special connection to the farm, animals and land. I watched the birthing of a calf and milked goats. This all gave me a strong appreciation for the land and food security issues.

My father was involved in the indigenous community when I was growing up. I learned about their history with the land and that there was and continues to be a lot racism against aboriginals. It is good to see some steps towards reconciliation, but there is much more for us all to do.

Caroline: What’s something people say differently in Saskatchewan than Ontario?

Angela: We call hoodies bunny hugs.

Caroline: What type of food do you think of as Saskatchewan food?

Angela: Bannick, traditional aboriginal fried bread, that my dad used to make. Ukrainian food, the perogies, the kielbasa. I’m not of Ukrainian descent though I did Ukrainian dance and had a lot of Ukrainian friends.  On Ukrainian Christmas, January 6, we used to go over to a friend’s house for the 12 course traditional meal, including herring, cabbage rolls and perogies. I also love Mennonite food such as rollkuchen, deep fried bread, and borscht. My mom is from Berlin so I think of German food as well, especially red cabbage dishes and my grandmothers cake, a white cake with slivered almonds on top and honey and plum cake.

Caroline: How do you think this food background has influenced you in how you eat and cook?

Angela: You have lived and cooked with me Caroline, so perhaps you can comment on this?

Caroline: You love of simple, rustic hearty food and bold flavours so you’d make something with cabbage with spices like cumin and herbs like dill, lots of dill because you love dill.  Soups are comfort food for you. You crave pickles and sauerkraut. You also love Asian food and make great curries.

Angela: We did a lot of cooking in Saskatoon. There is a lot of community building around food than ever I found in Ontario. I would get together with my friend Susan to learn how to cook something like Indian food or make sushi, and then have our parents, friends, siblings over for dinner.

Caroline: You’re open to trying new things in cooking and eating, in particular related to different cultures, and I’m the same way.

Angela: I like to be adventurous with food. I find cooking to be meditative and therapeutic for me even though I have a really busy life. Cooking something from scratch for me is something I like to do reset, calm the mind, and focus. I enjoy making savoury food. Baking is not something I like to do at and am not good at it. I don’t eat gluten and dairy anymore so that’s ok.

Caroline:  I was surprised when I met you that you like cooking because you are so busy and that you are a good cook. You like to throw things together using what you have, you don’t measure anything. When I first started cooking in your kitchen I asked where the measuring cups and spoons are, and you said you didn’t have any.

Angela: I don’t like to measure anything.  The recipes are a framework only but the rebel in me doesn’t like to obey even the recipe. I learned many things from you in the kitchen.

Caroline: Like what?

Angela: Cooking with you helped me to be even more adventurous in cooking. In particular with your curries you would mix together ingredients and flavours that I wouldn’t have considered. I learned how to cut a tomato from you – haha!…after a long night of making salsa. I met you just as I was having to take dairy and gluten out of my diet so things that you showed me such as cashew sour cream was revolutionary and has helped me expand my repertoire.

Caroline:  What are some of  your favourite dishes that I made?

Angela: Vegan gluten free lasagne! Your curries. Seaweed salad. Mushroom soup. Kimchee. Chocolate mousse. Truffles of course.

Caroline: You helped me taste test truffles (hard job!) and inspired me to create “the wake me up before you go-go” truffle with freshly ground fair trade organic Bridgehead coffee and Mexican spices.

Angela: What are some of the favourite things that I made?

Popcorn! Really you make the best popcorn! Cabbage soup. Sauerkraut. Curries. Peanut soup.

Caroline:  I knew we had many things in common like our love of yoga and how much it has helped us. I hadn’t realized how much our approach to food, cooking and eating are similar too. Though it was pho soup after all that started off our friendship and would lead me to what the Tragically Hip calls the “Paris of the Prairies”.

Notes of the day: We arrived in Saskatoon around 5:30 pm. It was a beautiful, clear day and became quite hot. When we stopped in Chamberlain for ice cream at Twisted Sisters it was sunny and 27 C. My chocolate dipped cone was melting faster than I could eat it and I felt like one of the small kids with more ice cream on me than in me, a real summer moment. After the ice cream was finished and I was wiped down, I was ready to reenter the brand new SUV and we headed to Saskatoon. We were warmly welcomed by her parents. Her father showed me the garden. Her mother made a great comfort type meal, which nourished my body and soul. We took a good walk afterwards and I saw a great sunset. I asked if this was usual and they said that it usually is and changes ever day.

Since Saturday morning, we have traveled from Ottawa to Saskatoon, with changing landscapes and people, going through two time zones and back two hours,  grazing most of the way and eating lovely dinners, and driving/sitting in a car for some 30 hours. I’m glad we’re stopping here for two nights before Calgary. It is time.