today.” I didn’t understand what she meant, but took the lesson at face value—I must finish everything on my plate if I want to be a good girl. As the years went by, I became less of a waster and would only serve myself as much as I could eat. But I had still not truly understood what my grandma had said when she asked me to respect my food. That was, until I tried growing it. Before you start imagining me plowing a field, let me tell you that growing food was restricted to a balcony garden and plastic pots for me! I started off with sprouts because they were the easiest, and then went on to herbs and finally to tomatoes. It took me several days of watering, tending and caring to receive the fruit of my labour, literally. And all that for just one tomato! When you think about how much time, effort and love it has taken for your food to reach your plate—from the farmer to the transporter to the vegetable vendor to your parents who bought it, cooked it and served it to you—you finally see food in an entirely different way. It is not just something on your plate that you need to finish. It is something you respect because it makes you a stronger and healthier person! On that note, let me leave you to enjoy the Foodie issue. Check out some of the best stories and features in this issue on the right hand side. Also read some of the great feedback we’ve received from all over the country in ‘Letters to the Editor’ on page 96.