The Ontario Pavilion during the Vancouver 2010 Olympics was my favourite venue to go to, it was 5 min walk away from my apartment and I felt at home there. I stopped by a total of 6 times (for both Opening and Closing Ceremonies). I was there for the Canada vs Russia hockey game but unfortunately couldn’t get past the lineup during the Canada vs Slovakia or the Canada vs USA game.

There was cool 4-D tourism show – you wear the 3D dorky glasses and the fourth dimension is the rumbling under your seat or sprays of water in your face.

I tried out InteraXon thought control experiment. The concept is that you sit in a chair and put this device on your head with sensors by your forehead. Based on whether you’re very focused or relax, your brain sends a different amount of alpha and beta waves. Their device reads this information and changes the light and rotation of the CN Tower (LIVE!) or the spotlights on Niagara Falls or the intensity of the lights in the Parliament Building in Ottawa.

I can see a future application such as Wii Mediation or Wii Yoga. The concept is pretty cool, but it takes getting used to. With some practice I could get down into the “relaxed” area but try as I might, I could never force my brain into the “focused” region.

But I digress, lets talk about Food. The food and drinks at the Ontario house was delicious. It was catered by Opus Hotel with never more than 1-2 minute delay before receiving your order. Drinks were $6: I enjoyed the wines – Wayne Gretzky and Dan Akroyd Vineyards were on the list. The beers from Mill Street were also so good. As for food, there was nothing I could go wrong with for $5. The burger slider, mac n cheese, fries, duck spring rolls, cheese plate, meat plate – you name it, it was solidly delicious.

One of my most memorable times during the Olympics at the Ontario house was when Jamie Kennedy did a demonstration of his Pork Belly and Apple Compote. He talked for a full hour about the Toronto food scene since the 1970s, all his initiatives in bringing local farmers and produce to people, his experience in farming and making wine, and the emerging culinary scene in Ontario.

Jamie Kennedy graduated from George Brown in 1977 and cooked in Europe for a few years. He became good friends with Michael Stadtlander and they both ended up back in Toronto at Scaramouche in 1980. Jamie Kennedy passionately advocated the use of local and fresh ingredients early on and now, 30 years later, it’s become mainstream and expected of good restaurants to use fresh and local produce. In 1989, Jamie Kennedy and Michael Stadtlander started Knives and Forks – a non-profit organization that promotes the environmental and human benefits of organic agriculture for people in Toronto. Its purpose is to unite chefs and organic local producers. They have an event called the Ontario Feast of Fields every September, which brings farmers and consumers and chefs together. Ever since 1994, British Columbia also adapted the Feast of Fields through Vancouver’s FarmFolk/CityFolk Society.

When I think of a Canadian Celebrity Chef whose name is recognized by every foodie that I know, I think of Jamie Kennedy. From his JK ROM (in the Museum) to Jamie Kennedy Kitchen to Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar and now Gilead Cafe – he definitely has shaped the culture of food selection and food making in Toronto. In his presentation he talked about his experiences on the farm, his failed attempts at making good wine, working with wine makers to make drinks that pair well with food, his famous poutine, and more food anecdotes. I couldn’t help but miss Toronto. It’s really exciting to hear from the man that shaped the food I ate while growing up and the culture I’m experiencing today.

I approached him for a chat after his demonstration and was impressed when he said:
“My hope is that everyone learns how to cook. Once people see how easy it is to make delicious food at home, they will realize that there’s no need to buy processed food or fast food. They will demand fresh produce and basic ingredients and local sources of food. This will drive organic and local prices down. Also it will drive processed and fast food prices up and out”.

I whole-heartedly agreed with him since this is essentially one of the reasons why we started YouCook.ca. When I started my journey of learning how to cook I took Michael Pollan’s advice to avoid all the middle aisles of a grocery store (which contained processed foods/fake food) and just shop on the edges – which typically contain the fresh vegetables and meats. If everyone did this, perhaps more of the grocery store will be filled with fresh produce instead of processed sugar.

It was a pleasure to meet Jamie Kennedy in Vancouver promoting Toronto culture. Definitely another defining moment in my Olympics experience.