strudel. pic: dee Hobsbawn-Smith

Cherries, part 2: Strudel

First We Eat: Prairie gardeners have until about the end of October to get sour cherry plants into the ground

Sour cherry shrubs, with proper care, can thrive in the challenging climate of Canada’s Prairies and produce fruit for delicacies such as strudel, as shown in the recipe here.

apricot and almond stars

A literary celebration of food

First We Eat: Like a good meal, ‘One Book One Province’ is meant to offer a shared experience

On the Prairies, the month is a hopeful time for food lovers: we’re perusing seed catalogues, planning our gardens and dreaming about salads made from the season’s first greens.


rapid test for falling number

New falling number test may better spot sprouting

A new methodology could save farmers from misapplied penalties in years of weather damage

Some growers say they’ve been unfairly penalized for a condition that did not harm the baking performance of the flour made from their wheat, prompting calls for a new methodology to replace the standard Hagberg-Perten falling numbers test.

chewy brownie cookies

Books worth cooking from, part 3: Anna Olson’s Baking Wisdom

First We Eat: The Ontario pastry chef’s book is meant to be accessible to beginners and pros alike

Perusing a library’s shelves, whether virtual or bricks-and-mortar, is always a pleasure, especially when I have food on my mind. To my great joy, I recently found an impressive new baking book from a Canadian pro. Pastry chef and TV/YouTube personality Anna Olson, who is married to chef Michael Olson, is a reassuringly approachable pastry […] Read more


Cookie dough on sheet ready for first baking.

Metaphors in baking

First We Eat: A geologic way to think of cakes and cookies

I drove into the southern heartland of Saskatchewan last week, threading through the Qu’Appelle Valley, rolling down undulating slopes past hoodoos to the valley floor, across the bridge, then back up again to the upper deck of land that faces south. The escarpment in the south end of the province remains invisible to anyone traversing […] Read more



Anything for dessert — as long as it’s chocolate

Anything for dessert — as long as it’s chocolate

First We Eat: If you love chocolate try this sourdough cake recipe

My family recently marked the first anniversary of my dad’s death. I miss him. He and Mom lived fairly close by, and Dave and I visited them weekly for movie night with our dog Jake, sometimes with dessert in hand. Like a good chocolate, Dad had a soft heart within a crusty exterior. Chocolate was […] Read more

Ardent Mills’ milling facility at Saskatoon. (ArdentMills.com)

North America’s millers, bakers scramble to satisfy bread binge

Chicago/Winnipeg | Reuters — North American flour mills and bakeries are rushing to boost production as the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus leads to consumer stockpiling of staples such as bread and pasta. The virus’ spread prompted orders to stay at home in some U.S. states, including New York, California and Illinois last week, following […] Read more


Apple pie for a snowy day

Apple pie for a snowy day

First We Eat: When it’s snowing and blowing outside it’s the perfect time to stay inside and bake

Another grey winter day, with the wind howling from the east and snow drifting across the yard and our long driveway, means we are snowbound. A snow day! Yay! What better thing to do but bake? An apple pie for instance. Apples are the fallback fruit of winter, and a pie is what all apples […] Read more