No food in the budget

You may recall a nifty campaign that took place last year called "Do the Math Challenge". Important people, and some not-so-important ones too, came together for what many would consider a near-impossible challenge. As it was, they lived the life of 400,000 Ontarians for a week, sustaining themselves on only the food provided by a hamper from their local food bank. Most discovered that it wasn't nearly enough to feed themselves and their families. Others, that the quality of food just isn't adequate. Veggies? Fruits? Not so. Think high-sodium, low-nutrient canned food. Peanut butter. White. Processed. In only one week, they experienced highs and lows, and epiphanal moments. Their blog entries are incredibly insightful.

Fun with leftovers

Toronto Bakes for Japan

The complex price of our health

I had the complete privilege of living and traveling in South America for a year+ recently. When folks ask me to talk about the most amazing places I experienced, I tell them that though I was LIVING for the year in sexy, tango, wine, steak land of Buenos Aires, the places that captured my imagination and heart most were Bolivia and Colombia. This post is about Bolivia, the folks who live there, what they eat, and why our interest in what they eat is making them more hungry (for nutrients).

Farmers' markets get robbed

Really, Ford? I mean, Really!? OK, I'm pretty sure you made your point when you announced your plans to nix the 5 cent plastic bag fee, then proposed flushing water conservation incentives down the drain.  You've cut taxes for the rich (Seriously? Billboard owners?), and now your apostles are intent on ripping away one of Toronto's perennially blossoming beacons: farmers' markets. Buddy, things just got personal.

Alexandra Cousteau on World Water Day

World Water Day. If you've been reading Folks Gotta Eat for long, you know that I give a shit about the future of water, and so should you. Here's one of the best pieces I've read in celebration of World Water Day, so I thought I would share it. It's from the granddaughter of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Alexandra Cousteau. She writes, "Today is World Water Day. To mark the occasion, I have three challenges for you..."

High fructose corn syrup is no friend of mine

Wow. When the high fructose corn syrup lobby starts battling for the hearts and minds of the population and citing SCIENCE as on their side, well, it feels like some fire storms from the Book of Revelation are about to rain down. Shana, thank you for sharing the following serious commercial and the Saturday Night Live spoof response. You made my day.

In defence of Whole Paycheque

I'm going to make a bold statement, and many of you are NOT going to agree with me. Whole Foods rocks. The stores rock because they are the epicentre of food porn. The corporation rocks because with only 305 stores in North America and the U.K., they are raising the bar on standards and driving the market toward sustainability. 

Making granola bars is easy!

I admit freely to having a bit of a crush on Galen Weston Jr. of the Loblaws grocery chain here in Canada.  He is often maligned for his hokey ads for new President's Choice products that paint him as an everyman who just gets really excited about premade cheesecakes when in actual fact he took over the 9 billion dollar Loblaws Companies Limited from dear old Dad.  

Factory farming - Ontario's migrant workers

Introducing the sensational Aviva Friedman, latest addition to Folks Gotta Eat. I used to work for an organization that preached the wonders of Ontario's green spaces, its luscious rolling fields, its seasonal bounties, its endless possibilities. And so, a naïve young intern that I was, I mostly drank it all in, barely stopping to think and question Ontario's food policies and what other realities might actually exist in my own backyard. 

March 22nd is World Water Day

I just took the Tap Water Pledge in support for public tap water on the Council of Canadians website, then I went into my kitchen, filled a pint glass with Toronto tap water, and drank it down. What a luxury! 

How long can we afford chocolate?

Three days before Valentines Day I read a disturbing article about John Mason, a Canadian expert on cocoa in the Globe and Mail. He predicts at the rate we're going in a few years chocolate could become an expensive luxury available only to the wealthy.

Learning about Canada's food trends

When it comes to dining out, I'm pretty easy going. My many years of waiting tables, hosting and bartending while I was in university and graduate school (everything from truck stops to fine dining) made me damn grateful if the food somehow makes it to the table. If I have a glass of vino in my hand to keep me occupied within ten minutes of arrival, well, there is no cap on the tip. I'm so easy going that I count myself lucky to walk into a cafe with only three main courses on the menu and learn that they only have two left.  Hell, at least there's a choice.

Blow that whistle

Recently, I made the mistake of joining a mailing list to receive alerts from the USDA. Bad move. Here's an example of the type of email that is now bombarding my inbox: "Unilever Announces Recall of Skippy® Reduced Fat Peanut Butter Spread Due to Possible Health Risk Limited Recall of 6 Best-If-Used-By Dates."

Waste not, want not

I just returned from my ritual Saturday morning grocery shopping and farmers' marketing and as I went to put everything away I noticed the fridge was pretty full and there wasn't much room in there. Further inspection revealed it was pretty full of molding vegetables, hard ends of cheese and expired hummus, tofu and yogurt. 

Welfare cows