On Wednesday, October 24, I attended chef Michael Smith’s book signing for Fast Flavours at the Side Door Restaurant. The event is part of The Ottawa International Writers’ Festival, which runs October 24–30. Oddly, the six foot six author barely mentioned his book while swapping stories with Jonathan Korecki, the restaurant’s chef. Instead the two focused the conversation on our relationship with food, or more precisely, the lack of. With growing obesity rates in adults and children, not to mention food allergies, it was clear to Smith and Korecki that our relationship with food is broken and that people need to understand what it is they are putting in their bodies. Although he could have gone on a rant that would have made Rick Mercer proud, Smith kept it simple: higher priced organic and locally sourced food is cheaper than the long-term costs of tackling healthcare problems related to consuming high-calorie, high-sodium, high-sugar, pre-packaged, commercially sourced, and fast foods.

All is not lost, however, restaurants and consumers are shifting to local, organic foods.

Smith and Korecki offer three steps to improve our relationship with food:

1. Know your food: learn about where it comes from, who is growing/raising it, and about the food seasons.
2. Enjoy cooking: don’t get caught up in the perfection contrived by food media. Smith used the term “food porn” when referring to the glossy images in magazines and cook books.
3. Share with family and friends: a good meal shared with family and friends is a priceless experience and will encourage you to experiment more with food.

Bon appétit!

Image: ByWard Market, via Wikimedia