In a way, it begins a couple of years ago, with a challenge dreamed up by another couple, who share David's and my love of preparing and eating good and interesting food. We swap themes for dinner parties, with the couple visiting challenging the couple cooking.

The inspiration can come from a country or a region, a special occasion or a current trend in eating or living.

So March 29, naturally, our challenge was Earth Hour.

I'll admit to having mixed feelings about Earth Hour. I had little doubt that thousands of people would jump on the bandwagon and turn off their lights and other electronics for an hour, thereby reducing energy use for the period. I had less faith that it would have any lasting impact on how much energy we consume.

But I'm always up for a challenge.

We decided to go beyond just a dinner we could eat in the dark to making the environment a consideration in everything we bought or made for the evening.

It began with the menu. I walked through the produce section of the grocery store, wishing it was summer and I could go to the Orangeville Farmers' Market for greens, peppers or tomatoes grown in the area, or at least find more Ontario-grown veggies on the shelves. I decided on Ontario hothouse tomatoes and cucumbers for a tabouleh salad. I planned grilled vegetables as a second side dish; while Ontario mushrooms and peppers were first to go in the cart, I'll admit to adding zucchini and eggplant that came from significantly farther south.

A sustainable fish species seemed the ideal protein choice, and not too hard to find.

For refreshments, I picked a beer that is known for being green-conscious and an Ontario wine. Although the LCBO is flagging the new tetra-paks, I'm not convinced that they're better for the environment than the bottle -- so I stuck with glass. I found myself wishing for about the hundredth time that the Ontario wineries at least would take a cue from the breweries and start a reuse program for their bottles.

Back at home, David pulled out the barbecue, which we had retired for the long, cold winter. Although he debated whether burning charcoal to cook our dinner was really any better for the environment than using electricity, if the challenge was to cut back on electricity, it was really the only option.

We ate cold salad, grilled vegetables and fish and sipped pinot noir by candlelight, and we discussed the reasons behind our choices for the menu and the merits and pitfalls of Earth Hour. All in all it was an enjoyable evening; we didn't miss that electricity at all.

Earth Hour certainly got people talking, but are they acting, particularly in the long-term?