 Paris, France, December 13, 2021 – At the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards held last week in Paris, France, world-renowned Ottawa cookbook author and TV host Margaret Dickenson, P.H.Ec was honoured with two prestigious awards in the Entertaining category. From the Ambassador’s Table: Blueprints for Creative Entertaining was recognized in the Best of the Best – 25 Years category, and Margaret’s Table: Easy Cooking & Inspiring Entertaining won in the Best Entertaining Book category. Home entertaining is more popular than ever, and the trend is very likely to continue. Margaret Dickenson’s books are the gold reference in personal entertaining for experienced and novice cooks. Margaret’s Table features 30 menus including themed ideas, 150 unique personally created recipes, brilliant, inspiring and accessible food styling and presentation ideas, over 70 mesmerizing photos, tips, and tricks (make ahead, shortcuts, alternate ingredients and techniques) as well as easy strategies and steps on how to make it all come together. From Chinese spoons and innovative presentation and serving ideas to drizzles and edible flowers, the pages of the books will inspire you to look in your pantry, in your fridge and around your home to find the extra touch of pizazz that will make your dishes particularly special for your guests.
available to order on Amazon and Amazon Canada. “There is a quote by Maya Angelou that I am especially fond of: ‘People may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.’ When it comes to entertaining, her words ring very true. I always want to wow my guests and leave them enchanted, so they remember their time at my table long after the event.” -Margaret Dickenson
the last 25 years. This year's competition attracted 15,000 books from 225 countries and regions. The awards ceremony is an opportunity to meet the who’s who in the world of food and wine.
Interview and Media Requests: Margaret Dickenson mldickenson@rogers.com +1 (613) 730-0185
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 Image Credit: Adobe Stock Being social has become second nature to us and we can’t live without it. We are currently experiencing a massive social reconstruction due to COVID-19. It doesn’t matter what age; we are all affected in one way or another. The impact on the elderly has been quite significant. By 2026 the elderly population will represent 21.2% of the Canadian population (White et al., 2013). This trend is supported by improvements in modern technology, education, living and working conditions (Lorinc, 2008). As we age the demand for social support increases due to the limited frequency of interactions especially in those living alone. Having this lack of interaction poses strain on the elderly which can lead to emotional disfunction, loneliness and can worsen into depression (Rhodes, 2016). A study found that mental and physical health in the elderly were impacted. They reported an increase of anxiety, depression, poor sleep quality and physical inactivity during the lockdowns (Loyola et al., 2020). Elderly, being more susceptible to contracting COVID-19 were restricted with what they could do such as visiting family, grocery shopping and sometimes even walking around their neighbourhoods. Not taking part in their daily routines restricted them from living life well in retirement. What they thought their retirement might look like has been in a constant disarray since COVID-19 surfaced. Everyday there was new information in the media causing concern and confusion for this very vulnerable population. We saw the emergence of the app Zoom which saw a 300% increase globally (SmartBear Software, 2021). It was a learning curve, but it soon became part of our daily lives. According to Stats Canada 60% of seniors (80 plus) in 2016 didn’t have internet access (Schimmele & Davidson, 2019). One could extrapolate these findings and assume these numbers are lower in 2021. Video calling is a great alternative to in person interactions because it allows for each party to form that connection without the physical aspect therefore keeping everyone safe. Those 60% without internet had to be creative to see their loved ones, such as a porch visit and/or drive-bys. As vaccines were discovered and implemented, regulations for those vaccinated were somewhat eased. This gave us the privilege to hug our loved ones once again. Having this physical connection can help jump start the social connections that we made with our vulnerable grand and/or parents. Call your older loved ones as they need social interaction to thrive. References: Lorinc, J. (2008, Aug 09). The medicare myth that refuses to die. The Globe and Mail http://ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/newspapers/medicare-myth-that-refuses-die/docview/382699579/se-2?accountid=13631 Rhodes. (2016, November 18). Older Adults and the Importance of Social Interaction: A.G. Rhodes. A.G. Rhodes |. https://www.agrhodes.org/blog/notable-newsworthy/older-adults-and-the-importance-of-social-interaction/#:~:text=Studies%20have%20proven%20that%20regular,mental%20health%20for%20senior%20citizens.&text=By%20contrast%2C%20social%20isolation%20typically,other%20mental%20and%20physical%20issues. Schimmele, C., & Davidson, J. (2019, July 10). Evolving Internet Use Among Canadian Seniors. Statistics Canada. Retrieved from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11f0019m/11f0019m2019015-eng.htm. Sepúlveda-Loyola, W., Rodríguez-Sánchez, I., Pérez-Rodríguez, P., Ganz, F., Torralba, R., Oliveira, D. V., & Rodríguez-Mañas, L. (2020). Impact of Social Isolation Due to COVID-19 on Health in Older People: Mental and Physical Effects and Recommendations. The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging, 1–10. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-020-1469-2 SmartBear Software. (2021). App Usage & Popularity Statistics During Covid-19. Bugsnag. Retrieved from https://www.bugsnag.com/covid-19-app-usage-error-data-report. White, J., Martin, T. & S. Bartolic. (2013). Families Across the Life Course. Toronto, ON: Pearson Canada Inc. (pp.259-291).
 Donna Washburn of Mallorytown, a former President of OHEA. long time P.H.Ec., bread baking specialist and cookbook author passed away on Nov. 28, 2021 after a short illness. Read Donna's obituary here. OHEA extends sincere condolences to Donna’s family and to her business partner and co-author Heather Butt of Brockville – also a long time professional home economist. OHEA plans a blog post soon about Donna’s amazing professional Home Economics career. Anyone who wishes to remember Donna may make a donation to the Canadian Home Economics Foundation. The CHEF mailing address is: PO Box 2582 Stn. Main, Winnipeg, MB R3C 4B3. The CHEFoundation is the sole remaining national connection for home economists in Canada. Support provided to it enables grants for a variety of programs and projects which improve the quality of life for families and individuals in Canada. These funds help home economists to carry out home economics research, develop educational tools, conduct public service projects plus support for post-secondary education related to the home economics profession.
Please consider donations to the Foundation any time you wish to remember a home economist. To learn more about the Foundation visit the website at www.chef-fcef.ca. |
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