VANCOUVER — Celebrity chef Walton Fisch is facing widespread criticism for his latest cookbook, Fresh Fisch, which assumes its readers can afford to buy food.
Virtually every recipe in the book calls for multiple ingredients, which Fisch’s fans say is a slap in the face for anyone who doesn’t earn a six-figure salary.
“Walton’s new cookbook is completely out of touch with the average Canadian household,” said Beth Spooner, a teacher from Surrey. “I can barely afford Kraft Dinner and he has the gall to suggest a five-cheese macaroni casserole. And don’t even get me started on the club sandwich — does he think bread grows on trees?”
The cost of food has been steadily increasing since the early days of the pandemic, when grocery store executives realized they could hike their prices because humans need sustenance to live.
In an effort to look like it’s doing anything at all, the federal government met with the top brass of Canada’s largest grocery chains last month to discuss stabilizing supermarket prices, although a formal plan has yet to be announced.
“These CEOs understand things have reached a tipping point,” Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne told press. “They’re open to finding a solution to make groceries more affordable, as long as it doesn’t force them to take any sort of pay cut or stop holding their weekly caviar potlucks on their superyachts.”
For his part, Fisch has formally apologized for the backlash in a statement posted on his Facebook page, claiming that the cookbook was readied for publication months before the cost of groceries skyrocketed.
“I feel awful that so many of my fans have been upset by the new book. I fully agree that food has gotten too expensive and I’m going to make it my mission to use as little of it as possible in all my recipes moving forward.”
He also confirmed that he’s begun work on his next cookbook, Cold Fisch, which will feature dishes exclusively made from gruel.
