Chef Michael Smith advises home cooks to keep it simple - The Vancouver Sun

Celebrity cookbook author and Food Network chef Michael Smith, 42, dropped by Le Cordon Bleu in Ottawa recently to speak with students on his cross-Canada tour as food ambassador for his home province, Prince Edward Island.

As you may expect, the star of such popular shows as The Inn Chef, Chef at Large, Chef at Home and Chef Abroad has some rather provocative ideas about celebrity cooks, processed food and what parents should do to regain control of what their families eat.

What has been the effect of the Food Network on North Americans?

It's had a huge impact, positive and negative.

On the positive side, anything that gets people engaged with and talking about food is a good thing.

On the negative side, the Food Network has created an unrealistic expectation of what it is to be a chef and become a chef. So we've got kids going to cooking schools and thinking when they graduate, "Well, I've done my cooking, now show me the chef's office."

What about its effect on consumers?

On the consumer side, let's call it food porn. We put food on a pedestal, we make it sexy, we make it seem so glamorous it's almost unapproachable and unattainable by the average consumer. People say, "Well, my apple pie doesn't look that good." But, hey, do you have 1,000 watts of light in your kitchen? Do you have personal assistants and sous-chefs running around to make sure your pie looks just right? No.

What do you make of the phenomenon of chefs as rock stars?

Same answer: If we're talking more about food, great. On the other hand, a lot of kids are getting into the business of cooking because of these rock-star chefs and maybe not so much because of the traditional motivation -- a true spirit of hospitality, a love of craftsmanship and community and sharing ingredients. I'm not saying that's wrong, it's just different from what motivated me.

How has your life changed since becoming a celebrity?

I'm not disingenuous, I recognize the position I occupy in the world of Canadian cuisine. On the other hand, I live on Prince Edward Island in the countryside. I choose not to buy into the celebrity BS; it's just not part of who I am or what I do ...

On the other hand, I'm quite aware that it helps put bread on the table and a roof over my family's head. We're not talking about actors and paparazzi and Hollywood, we're talking about food. I'm a cook, I'm a chef. My chops are sharing what I do, teaching young cooks.

How has family life changed your approach to food?

Seven years ago I realized I didn't know a thing about cooking and I had to start all over when the world's toughest food critic, my son, came into my house. I'd been doing fine-dining all over the world, but that's just a small part of the whole picture. I realized there's this other, bigger thing out there called health, nutrition and wellness.

How do viewers respond to your shows?

I have parents come to me all the time saying they love the show, they watch Food Network all the time, and they get Bon Apptit, Gourmet, Fine Food & Wine magazines every month and, "Boy, you should see our kitchen." But they also say their kids don't really like anything but Kraft Dinner, that's all they'll eat. And I say, "Mom, wake up! Your eight-year-old is not going to the supermarket buying Kraft Dinner. You are!"

That's called lazy parenting, and I'm not going to blunt that. We've got to do better. Nobody said it was going to be easy; parenting has always been about patience and persistence. You've got to cook for your kids. You can't let Big Food Inc. cook for your kids. Don't do it. Don't. Can you tell I feel strongly about this?

We worry about calories, fat, carbs, sodium. We're urged to buy local, organic. We're warned that tuna contains mercury, farmed salmon is suspect, and Chilean sea bass is almost extinct. What's a thoughtful consumer to do?

The root problem with everything you've described is, in essence, that most of us simply don't engage with our food. We take it for granted. And that leads to many problems manifested in different ways, whether it's supply-chain issues, fish becoming extinct, obesity and nutrition. We need to think about our food, to stop taking it for granted. At the same time, we're inundated with a contradictory media message: We're told this week that something is good for us, the next week it's not, and this keeps us off-balance and it leads to a feeling of despair and complication.

Then how do you decide what goes on your plate?

It doesn't have to be hard, not at all. When you do simple things like cooking for yourself, that's a huge and immensely important step.

We're part of a culture that has convinced us that it's more important to have two cars in the garage than having time to sit down and eat with our family. Right there we're out of balance. Cook for yourself. Never eat anything with ingredients you can't pronounce. I read Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma; In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto) and quote him all the time: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

Is it that simple?

Yes, it's that simple. It's dead simple. It's as simple as cooking for yourself, not eating processed food, don't eat things you can't pronounce. Fill your cart at the supermarket with vegetables and every colour of the rainbow and eat them. And get your kids engaged.

Most Canadians work outside the home and we're told families have less time. Yet your answer is to prepare more food for ourselves. How realistic is that?

Whether it's realistic or not, it's the solution. On one hand, I'm a pragmatic guy and I recognize the issues. I recognize in my own world that I'm time-challenged and we have soccer practice and Boy Scouts and all of us are time-challenged. But on the other hand I'm in a position where people listen to me and I'm not going to blunt my message. So, yes, it's that simple: Cook for yourselves, don't eat the crap.

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P.E.I. Smoked Salmon with Pasta and Lemon Dill Cream Cheese Sauce

Serves 4

- 1 pound (450 g) penne or your favourite shaped pasta like bowties (long pastas like spaghetti don't work as well)

- 1 cup (250 mL) cream cheese, room temperature

- 1 bunch fresh dill, chopped

- 4 green onions, sliced

- 1 lemon, juiced and zested

- 1 heaping teaspoon (7 mL) Dijon mustard

- 1/4 cup (50 mL) capers

- 8 ounces (225 g) smoked salmon, or more

- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Season it liberally with salt. (As the pasta cooks it will absorb the salted water and become properly seasoned.) Cook pasta al dente. Scoop out some of the starchy cooking water and reserve.

2. Drain the pasta but not quite all the way, leaving it a bit wet. Toss the pasta back into the pot along with about 1/2 cup (125 mL) of the reserved

water, then add remaining ingredients while pasta is still steaming hot.

Source: Chef Michael Smith

Simply Steamed Island Blue Mussels with Three Different Flavours

Serves 4

- 5 to 6 pounds (2.5 kg) mussels

Choose 1 of the following 3 flavouring groups:

- One 12-ounce (341-mL) bottle beer, 1 sliced onion, 1 tablespoon (15 mL) butter

- 1 cup (250 mL) orange juice, 1 tablespoon (15 mL) curry powder

- 1 cup (250 mL) wine, 1 tablespoon (15 mL) mustard, 1 teaspoon (5 mL) dried thyme, 1 tablespoon (15 mL) butter

1. Wash mussels well with cold running water and discard any that are open.

2. Pour liquid and other aromatic ingredients of your choice into a large pot with a tight-fitting lid. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.

3. Add mussels and cover with lid. Shake the pot occasionally and cook until the mussels have opened, about 10 minutes. Discard any that did not open.

4. Spoon mussels into a serving bowl. Strain remaining liquid to remove any broken shell or lingering sand. Serve with the mussels and lots of bread for soaking up the flavourful juice.

Source: Chef Michael Smith

Organic P.E.I. Field Greens with Apple Vinaigrette and Pumpkin Seeds

Serves 4

- 1/4 cup (50 mL) canola oil

- 2 tablespoons (25 mL) apple cider vinegar

- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) local honey

- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) mustard

- Salt and pepper, to taste

- 4 handfuls local, organic field greens

- 1/2 cup (125 mL) toasted pumpkin seeds

1. In a festive salad bowl, whisk oil, vinegar, honey and mustard until they form a smooth dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. Toss greens in the dressing until evenly coated. Sprinkle on the pumpkin seeds and any other of your favourite locally and seasonally inspired salad garnishes.

Source: Chef Michael Smith

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