Mark Bittman and Jessica Allen go shopping. Click image to go to full video. (Image: Maclean's)
New York Times writer and all-round foodie hotshot Mark Bittman came to Canada to sell his book last week, and the good folks at Maclean’s had the bright idea of bringing him to Toronto’s biggest independent grocer, Fiesta Farms (north of Bloor on Christie), for a wee spree. The video of the event (left) features Bittman and an overeager Jessica Allen meandering through the aisles at Fiesta while they discuss Bittman’s views on organic produce (in 100 years, if there are still people, they’ll be eating organic almost exclusively), weight loss (Bittman shed 30 pounds by going vegan-until-dark) and whether junk food is really cheaper than real food (nope).
Probably the funniest moment is the very beginning, when a dazed and confused Bittman stares, clearly incredulous and almost slack-jawed, at bags of milk. It’s hard to remember sometimes that this is almost unique to Canada, and central and eastern Canada at that. If bagged milk doesn’t get you laughing, Bittman’s delicate euphemism for getting high—“an illicit act which involved inhaling”—is pretty precious.
• Wait, is that Mark Bittman in aisle two? [Maclean’s]
• Grocery shopping with New York Times food writer Mark Bittman (VIDEO) [Maclean’s]
Amazing. I mean, they aren’t George Burns and Gracie Allen or nothin’, but they are making the magic happen. I am going to make some porridge (a three-ingredient meal, including the essential tablespoon of Nutella to make the whole thing palatable) and then try and be over-eager all day long. I have a feeling people will like me better.
And then I am going to wash the green beans I bought at Fiesta Farms a bit more thoroughly. Did you see the way that woman was pawing away at them?
October 9, 2010 at 10:14 am | by Stephen™Is it just me or is Bittman trying to pass off Pollan’s rules in “In Defense of Food” as his own?
October 12, 2010 at 8:46 am | by Lauren@Lauren, it is not just you. I thought the same thing. The grandmother, the five ingredients…
October 12, 2010 at 2:15 pm | by Alexander