As a chef, I could not wash my hands - nor clean pots, pans, utensils, meats or produce, nor make soups and sauces - if I did not have clean water. Were this to happen, of course, these would be the least of my concerns. Because water is the linchpin of survival: without it, not much else matters.

The dialogue and conversation about food is everywhere - television, chat rooms, social media outlets and among everyday conversations.

Even before the earthquake in Haiti, only half the country's population had a source of safe drinking water.

Marcus Samuelsson Quotes