Matthew Evans @ the Avid Reader

Last night I attended an event at the quirky Avid Reader bookstore in West End. They were hosting Matthew Evans, who southerners may know from his food critic days for the Sydney Morning Herald or more recently, from his Gourmet Farmer show on SBS (a channel which apparently only 2% of the population watch - scary fact revealed on the night). Matthew was there to promote his new book, called "The Real Food Companion", which he hopes to show us "how to ethically source, cook and eat real food".

The bookstore didn't have a lot of space for people to mill around in beforehand while they served nibbles and drinks courtesy of Food Connect (a local food cooperative promoting sustainable produce), but their outside space in the courtyard was better suited to the simple seating arrangement for later on. Matthew spoke really well - just like a bloke you might know down the road, who happens to have a real passion for re-discovering the taste of great food, which we may have lost in the ultra-convenient, mega-supermarket, bottled-water-from-Fiji kind of world we live in today. Did make you feel like you should get home pronto and plant those herbs you've been saying you were going to plant for the last 5 years, shop at the farmers market you pass each weekend and search the net scouring for local butchers who might be enthusiastic if asked about the meat they sell. I did have home made pumpkin soup for dinner that night (albeit pumpkins from Coles), so I think that counts somewhat.

I love it when two of my favourite pastimes combine - books and food! Here's to discovering more independent bookstores in Brisbane. Photo care of SBS Gourmet Farmer website.