Legally blind Toronto home chef has new, inclusive cooking show

Try rubbing your eyes with your hands vigorously for a few seconds, then opening your eyes and look through two straws.

That’s what home cook and food blogger Mary Mammoliti said she sees all the time.

Her condition is called retinitis pigmentosa, an eye disorder that causes progressive vision loss. Legally blind, Mammoliti was a financial analyst, but became a cook after losing more sight.

“Cooking was part of my therapy. It was how I learned to regain my trust in myself, my independence,” said Mammoliti.

Her new show on Accessible Media Inc., called Dish with Mary, uses Integrated Described Video (IDV). Key visual elements are incorporated into the production, making it inclusive for all viewers.

Audiences that are sighted to blind or partially-sighted can consume the show, without the need for a voiceover.

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“Everyone can watch the same program together and know what is happening on the screen,” said Mammoliti.

October is Blindness Awareness Month and Mammoliti is hoping people will take the time to ask questions, helping to remove the stigma around disabilities such as low vision.

“People tend to stereotype: I should have a cane or I should have a guide dog. That’s not the case and that’s why I encourage conversation and talking about it,” said Mammoliti.

Dish with Mary airs on Accessible Media Inc., Thursdays at 8:30 p.m.

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Mary’s Thanksgiving side dish recipe:

Fennel Celery Lemon Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4
Author: Mary Mammoliti / kitchenconfession.com

Ingredients

1 bulb fennel, trimmed, cored and thinly sliced
2 ribs celery with leafy tops, thinly sliced on bias

Optional: fresh basil or chives

Dressing

1 lemon, zest and juiced
2 teaspoons honey
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

In the bottom of a large bowl, add lemon juice, zest, white wine vinegar and honey. Whisk in olive oil in a slow stream to emulsify, add salt and pepper to taste. To the same bowl, add celery, and fennel and toss to combine.