Chef Michael Smith knows the best ingredients are right in his backyard.

For a man that has seen, tasted, and cooked dishes all over the world, Chef Michael Smith, host of Food Network programs Chef at Home and Chef Abroad, is turning the attention toward the timeless cuisine of Prince Edward Island.

Tourism Prince Edward Island recently named the PEI resident its Food Ambassador. The island has been pushing to gain recognition as a leading culinary tourism destination. The charming chef will help to support the initiative, and he will also sit on the board of the Culinary Institute of Canada in Charlottetown.

For a man that truly has seen it all when it comes to food, Chef Michael Smith says he understands the attraction that food lovers have to, what is known to most as, the Gentle Island, and even calls it "a Chef's Paradise."

PEI, the smallest of the Canadian provinces, is host to a number of well-known restaurants (Flex Mussels, Lot 30, and Dalvay by the Sea) that are known for serving up daily catch straight from the ocean their patrons look out on, and fresh greens grown in their backyard gardens.

And while the flourishing farms and bountiful seas keep the restaurants busy, the rest of the PEI plays host to 1.2 million tourists every year. There are also a number of food-themed festivals, which are lined up for this fall, which include The PEI International Shellfish Festival, and Fall Flavours, hosted by Chef Michael Smith himself. Count me in.

However, if you're the type that prefers to get your hands dirty, the island offers lobster fishing adventures or opportunities for you to roll up your pants and go clam digging yourself. But, I think, you should still let Chef Michael Smith cook your catch.

By Michelle Hunter