Two or three years ago, while fairly new to retirement, I picked up a copy of our local free paper, Waterford Today, and while flicking through it my eye landed on a recipe which was sitting there, incongrously, for Canadian Salmon.
It was clear that they were picking up recipes from some American syndication.

Instantly aggrivated I phoned them and complained, and, furthermore, offered my services for recipes with a local relevance.

To my surprise they accepted and so “Food Matters” a weekly recipe slot was born.
For all of you who live outside the Waterford urban area I offer you a sample of todays piece. (the newspaper comes out straight, it is my scanning which is bockety)

I recently got a notion to relieve my recipe slot on local radio (WLRFM) by doing occasional cook-book reviews. Again somewhat to my surprise when I wrote to cook-book publishers they sent back copies of the book for review by return.
(Beats ordering from Amazon anyday).
One of them said that that would appreciate getting a copy of the review, so nothing daunted, I started submitting my reviews to the Waterford Today where, again to my surprise, they are published.

Here is my review of my old friend Michael Waterfield’s book , again from todays edition.

I have now began to notice that the page which is headed by my Food Matters piece has now become a mecca for little pieces and even advertisments about food. Inadvertantly I seem to have started a food page in our local paper.

Again on the same page from todays edition they have an article and photo about our impending Terra Madre

As far as I’m concerned anything that raises awareness about local food matters is delightful (and I can’t help feeling a little chuffed that I seem to have started it all !)