What’s it all about?

Food can be a loaded topic these days. There's the slow food movement, foodies, gourmet chefs, vegans, paleos, and everyone in-between with opinions to offer. My interest in food - beyond simply staying alive - stems from 2 areas: I enjoy cooking and appreciate it when it's done well, and I have ethical and nutritional concerns about what goes into my body.

I was a vegetarian for about 10 years because I didn't want to support the meat industry. Now that I'm eating fish and seafood, I try not to overdo it and I always try to make sustainable choices. I was diagnosed gluten-sensitive a couple of years ago and since then I've been picking my way through the amazing world of g-free products. There are a lot of options, but if you're not careful you can end up spending $10 for a package - singular - of g-free pasta. If you've got the money for that, more power to you, but I don't and I suspect that I'm not in the minority.

My grand-mother came to Canada when she was young and lived through the depression. She instilled in me a strong belief in not letting anything go to waste. While I can appreciate and do enjoy going all out and buying luxurious ingredients for a special meal or celebration, I think it's silly to do so on a daily basis.

There are many ways to stretch your money if you're willing to put in some time in the kitchen. Why buy carved baby carrots when you can cut your own carrot sticks and get a lot more of them? Why not freeze extra ingredients you know you won't use right away instead of letting them go bad in the fridge? Why not save vegetable trimmings to make your own broth? When there are so many news stories about food shortages, why would you let anything go to waste?

I'm not a nutritionist or any other kind of healthcare professional, and I don't pretend to be. I am simply curious and motivated, and I've done quite a bit of research. Over the next few months I hope to share what I've learned, explore some more specific topics, and maybe post a recipe or two.