I gave a friend a sourdough lesson the other day. I think it went quite well. Actually I think it went really well.

Not because of my untold clear teaching techniques, (nope, not at all) but because she had enthusiasm, and later that night when her first made loaf came out of the oven, that enthusiasm was still there. Bundles of it.

It was impossible not to get caught up in her enthusiasm. Enthusiasm, for wanting to completely change around her families eating habits. Wanting to make things from scratch, away with packets, and also embracing the sourdough. Jumping all in as she had only made three loaves of bread before and then deciding that she wanted to give sourdough a crack.

It’s so wonderful to find like minded people who think along a similar way regarding food, you can stop being the odd one out for a while and that’s… lovely.

I think I had subconsciously started to tone things down a bit, even here on the blog. Did people really want to hear over and over that if you make something from scratch it tastes better. That it makes so much more sense to eat seasonally. To know where your food comes from, to get to know what was going in to your kids bodies and how to cook that food. Not Michelin starred restaurant style food but good honest, eat it everyday kind of cooking. When someone is so enthusiastic about wanting to learn, and wanting to pass that knowledge on to their own children, it’s inspiring.

Really inspiring.

It reminded me that it is really important, this food journey that a lot of people are beginning to take on and the more people that shout it from the roof tops, (not in a jam it down your throat kind of way), but in a hey, I made this, and that makes me so freakin’ happy I can’t tell you... well I think it’s worth it.

Food should be so much more than something that gets squashed together in a factory, popped in some plastic and a box, and then to be selected from a supermarket shelf. I understand convenience, and I understand lack of time, but good food shouldn’t have to mean hours and hours in a kitchen. Good food can be as simple as good core ingredients. Great core ingredients even. Back yard tomatoes, a little local goat cheese, a drizzle of awesome olive oil, a grind of black pepper and a chunk of crusty bread.

Simple. Tasty. Healthy.

The more people start to question where their food is coming from, finding out what it is exactly on their plates, and getting excited about cooking, the more things will change for the better.

If someone does this with bubbling enthusiasm, a skip in their step and love in their heart…well I think I want to be a part of that.