Cornell and Concordia Universities co-sponsor conference on food-at-home to be held in Montreal, March 21-22

WHAT: Concordia University and Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration co-sponsor a food conference entitled “Domestic Foodscapes: Towards Mindful Eating?”

WHEN: Friday and Saturday, March 21-22, 2008

WHERE: Concordia University (EV Building), 1515 Ste. Catherine St. West, Montreal, Canada, 7th floor, room 765.

WHO: Leading experts of nutrition, management, history, anthropology and design

NOTE: Media RSVP is required to arrange event coverage and interviews. Contact the Cornell Press Relations Office at (607) 255-3024 or the Concordia Media Relations at (514) 848-2424 ext. 4884.

Concordia University and Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration will co-sponsor one of the most comprehensive conferences on food-at-home entitled “Domestic Foodscapes: Towards Mindful Eating?” at Canada’s Concordia University in Montreal, March 21-22.

Leading experts of history, design, management, nutrition and anthropology from Canada, the United States and as far as Australia will examine the changing nature of domestic foodscapes – the physical and social environments in which we prepare and eat food.

The conference will focus on how to move away from mindless eating behaviors prevalent today to maintain healthy living and balance. For instance, the implications of changing food supply and consumption behaviors and how these changes have influenced the quality of our eating experiences at home will be explored.

The conference is organized by Jordan Le Bel of Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration and Rhona Richman Kenneally of Concordia’s Department of Design and Computation Arts. Le Bel, a former chef, is a food and beverage management and marketing expert and also pens a column on retailing and marketing for the French language monthly Commerce. Richman Kenneally, an architect and cultural historian by training, conducts multidisciplinary explorations of the everyday food culture of Canada and Ireland. Her teaching and publications address such issues as cultural identity, food and nationalism, and the significance of the everyday objects around us as indicators of our values and beliefs.

“Eating has become more function and convenience-driven today. How can we rediscover the many pleasures of eating, at home and when eating out?” asked Jordan Le Bel, Associate Professor of Food and Beverage Management at Cornell. “The environmental and social cues embedded in the layout and design of our kitchens, dining rooms, and homes can provide opportunities to become more mindful and appreciative of our food,” added Richman Kenneally.

To attend the entire workshop or the wine and chocolate tasting to be held Friday afternoon (March 21), contact LeBel at jll66@cornell.edu. No registration fee is required.

For more conference information and to arrange interviews, contact the Cornell Press Relations Office at (607) 255-3024 or Concordia Media Relations at (514) 848-2424 ext. 4884. Further information, program schedule and conference information are available at: http://www.domesticfoodscapes.org, where a post-conference summary report will also be posted.

Contacts

Concordia	Cornell
Chris Mota, Director - Media Relations (514) 848-2424 ext. 4884 Chris.Mota@concordia.ca	Sabina Lee, Public Information Officer (607) 255-3024 SSL37@cornell.edu
Dr. Rhona Richman Kenneally Associate Professor Design and Computation Arts (514) 848-2424 x rrk@alcor.concordia.ca	Dr. Jordan L. LeBel Associate Professor Food & Beverage Management, Hotel School (607) 255-1735 JLL66@cornell.edu