Vegetables, Grains and Other Good Stuff

Introduction

I'll start with confession: I don't believe what you choose to eat is a world-shattering, completely defining characteristic of who you are. Frankly, I am grateful for food, period. When so many less fortunate people go to bed hungry, it seems a little indulgent to bang on the way we do about this or that dislike, dietary preference or culinary craze.

It is my job to cook and I love it. Yes, I am slightly obsessed with food, but I endeavour to keep my fanaticism in check. I believe everyone has the right to choose what they eat, be it for reasons of religion, ethics or health. However, my food preferences are just that: preferences. I am mindful that if someone cooks for me, it's a nice thing. I was brought up to be grateful for the offerings at the table, whatever they are. For this reason, I will accept your hospitality and eat as your custom dictates and generally finish whatever is on my plate and be genuinely thankful. I guess if you had to stick a label on my head, it would read 'situational flexitarian'.

I don't believe in diets. In my opinion, we all know what to eat. If it's fresh, free from numbers, fairly unmolested and something that societies have relied upon for centuries, it's probably okay. And it's going to let you know you're on the right track because you will feel okay. It's that simple.

Professionally, I have access to just about any food under the sun. I'm a chef and we are food dealers. We make phone calls in the wee hours of the night, we drive miles down dusty tracks to meet people who don't speak much but have what we want. We rendezvous in dark loading docks and hand over wads of cash to dodgy-looking people for the good gear. We have even been known to get up early in the morning (heaven forbid) to get first dibs at the markets. Some of these ingredients – the vegies, grains and other good stuff – I squirrel away for my own cooking at home. And this is what I cook.