What is a foodie?
 

I think we're basically "foodies" - but I hear the term thrown around and I wonder what other's perceptions are. We love to cook ourselves - use fresh ingredients - try new recipes - love fine wine - presentation matters - we appreciate complex flavors and ethnic cooking.... and yet, are known to drop into Taco Bell with our kids and/or make spaghetti with sauce from a jar at home. What's your take on the trendy "foodie" designation?

I dislike the word. I shop for my food in seasons. Have no children so don't have the Mac, canned food meals that parents have understandably. My meals I consider a sensual interlude or a time to share pleasant moments with friends.
I love the texture of some vegetables and love marrying the different colors of tomatoes.

cigale,
<font color="green">&quot;My meals I consider a sensual interlude...&quot;</font>

:D Oh my! :D

I guess I consider myself a foodie. I read about food, and watch food programs on television. I like to know what foods are featured in different areas, and try to cook some of the ethnic cuisines we enjoy. We talk about food, and I write about food and dining, as well as cooking.

When we travel, I collect restaurant and market recommendations and enjoy visiting the markets as much as the restaurants.

And yes, we've been know to visit Taco Bell and doctor a cake mix or jar of sauce. I don't have the time or energy to make a meal from fresh ingredients every single night.

We also grow herbs and vegetables. Share recipes and discuss menus with friends and family. Every family celebration includes multiple menu discussions.

I come from a family of foodies, and there are many good cooks in our family.

Here's a foodie story I'll share:

Years ago, after dinner in NYC, DH, my brother and his then fiancee, and I were walking. The conversation turned to golfers, and I said, &quot;I can't believe that (my father) can remember a hole of golf that he played years ago, what shots he took, and what clubs he used.&quot;

My brother's fiancee said, &quot;Well, I can't believe that you guys can all remember a meal you ate in a restaurant years ago; what dishes you had, how they were prepared, and how they tasted.&quot;

I guess only a foodie would remember the details of a good meal eaten years before.

I am a Foodie too..I love to read books around a cooking theme...Nora Ephron was a good author and I loved all teh Peter Mayle books...Thomas Jefferson was a very well traveled Foodie...and I like to travel to the places mentioned. Or discover new Foodie places..like Portland..had a great outdoor saturday market.

Hey Ive got cookbooks in my basket by the &quot;toilette&quot; Do I classify as a foodie&quot;

I do find myself attracted to the markets when I travel - especially the farmer's markets. They make for phenomenal photographs too... especially spice bins.

I agree hO6O. The ones in Provence are very photographic, especially the spices in the burlap bags,

I definitely fall into this category, as I, too, love to cook, read cookbooks, shop for food, and of course, eat! I don't grow fresh herbs, but I love to shop for them and I love gourmet food markets.

I love to share recipes and make most things from scratch. On occasion when time is limited, I will use jarred sauce, but prefer to make my own. I also enjoy watching the Food Network and getting new ideas. Unfortunately, many of my friends don't enjoy cooking as much as I do, so sharing recipes is hard. I am the one doing the sharing! I hope to attend culinary school one day :)

I must be a foodie...when my cooking magazines come in the mail and I get lost in reading them...my DH says I am reading my &quot;porn.&quot; He loves my cooking and appreciates excellence in food.

Debi

oh, where is LilMsFoodie when we need her.

Definitely not a foodie.

When a family member is in the business, you tend to run the other way.

Don't get me wrong, we love a good meal but Mr.GoTravel prefers fried oysters, meatloaf, and other simple dishes to foie gras and black truffle oil.

I don't think it means you have to have high-end tastes.

I would define it as being aware of what you eat, thinking about food (recipes) when not at the table, and not settling for mediocre.

My son was offended last night because I put prepared microwaved food on the table. (What can I say, it was a hectic day. He made himself a sandwich.) When he was 7, on vacation, he used all his spending money to buy a cookbook. At 16, he was planning the menu for the restuarant he will own someday. He probably qualifies.

Since we seem to have more &quot;foodies&quot; than ever before, I wonder why there has not been a loud outcry at the amazing

This vegetable should be used as a symphony uses the cymbals, a judicious use of a spice, an addition of a certain piquance. Not as an overwhelming hammer-blow.

More than once I have called the waiter over to our table, denounced the cook's drenching everything in garlic, and insisted the dish be returned to the kitchen with my condemnation. Enough!

Error: line omitted -- paragraph should conclude with the phrase: &quot;overindulgence in the use of garlic.&quot;

Now in the context used here in IL and in all age groups, the word &quot;foodie&quot; doesn't denote the same meaning as assumed here or by others defined previously on this thread. It always carries a meaning context of very high end dining, not just love of the meal or cooking as a hobby etc. AND of being extremely picky about contents of such.

I am not a foodie. And I do have a good palate and usually can taste and know the contents and quality of prepared foods.

And as in cigalechanta's definition, we don't call that kind of person a &quot;foodie&quot; at all, either.

I love to prepare real original and unprocessed food products and do. I never opened a can of anything for my kids in my life. Never, and that is saying something because I came up in the can era. I even soak and cook beans myself. Do not use canned vegs or soups. But I am not a foodie. In fact, I feel rather like Go Travel.

My son is a foodie. He goes to MK, Everest, and all those fancy/smancy tasting productions. And he never found a steak he couldn't make better by adding high end blue cheese.

USNR, I think in part we have Emeril to thank for the current trend in &quot;overindulgence in garlic&quot; which you refer to. At least, that was my first response to reading your post. Every time he &quot;bams&quot; on his show, it is with a huge handful of garlic and the feeling is that you can't have too much of a good thing like garlic. I feel the same way as you do; too much of it masks all the other flavors.

I don't know if I am a foodie or not. I search out good restaurants and good food when I travel, but I also delight in simple and freshly prepared food. I am not a food snob; I love a good roadside BBQ stand as much as I love a good expensive restaurant. I love to cook. I don't think about it all the time, and yes, I use prepared foods sometimes. I subscribe to Food and Wine and pick up Gourmet when I can. So I suppose I am a person who enjoys the simple pleasures of good food and enjoys cooking and eating it, and I delight at going to good restaurants sometimes. Is that a foodie? I don't &quot;feel&quot; like a foodie.

What is a foodie, let me count the ways-A foodie believes a meal is not just the food in itself, a meal is presentation, attitude, a sort of cuinary romance between the plate and the consumer, an unspoken dialogue with the chef, a knowledgable sommelier and a faboo bottle of wine. An attentive waiter with an almost psychic ability to discern your needs. One doesnt have to dine at just places like the Inn at Little Washington to get this, or imbibe in things like Kobe-Wagyu in this country, or truffles. There is also beauty in a simple burger well prepared, or a plate of golden brown fried chicken, or the contrast of a plate of creamy stone ground grits against the saltiness of well cured country ham.
A foodie seeks out the freshest ingredients and is ecstatic when farmers market time comes around. Plans are laid based on the availibility of said markets and the proximity of produce stands.We religiously support our local farmers and producers.We may or may not have a garden ourselves, but we know fresh is key. A foodie knows when morels pop, NW cherries come in season, white peaches are at their most succulent, the first skinny asparagus breaks through their winter mulch, what corn is going to be like candy on a cob.They know who the go to fishmonger is and never eat farmed raised fish, or any fish that is not in season for that matter.
A foodie is one who NEVER goes on holiday without first checking Zagats or Chowhounds or Road Food or any of the abundant culinary sites.I personally am a Chowhound addict and they have yet to steer me wrong.A foodie takes notes when watching Rachel Ray's on 40$ a Day, because you never know when you'll end up in Seattle.
A foodie usually has an abundance of cookbooks, but uses maybe 10 consistently. The rest are culinary novels, to be read, digested and entertained by.We usually clip recipes, which are stuffed into boxes and promptly forgotten, buts thats OK because every so often we mount a culinary archaeological dig and unearth a lip smacking treasure.We watch so much Food Network that our kids give us an allowance just to watch the cartoon channel for awhile.
Foodies are professional chefs and those who cant boil their own water, but love the heck out of someones elses.
We are Jack Sprat and his wife, skinny and fat and in between.We can be adventuresome, or somewhat timid, but we always appreciate the effort. We eat pigs testicles, but draw the line at snails.We vicariously journey to other places through their cuisine, and if we really like it, we actually go there to get the real deal experience.We may disagree on what constitutes a good meal, but the arguement is like the food itself-nourishing to the brain, tasty in it's dissension.
Anyone who responded to this query is a foodie, know it or not. I'm a foodie, your a foodie, wouldn't you like to be a foodie too!!!!

emd.....Here is my grandmother's litmus test for being a foodie....Do you live in the culinary fast lane? Foodies do...Are you constantly in search of edible perfection?Foodies are.....Is food your life's work? It is for foodies.....Only you can decide....Best of Luck!!

BeachBoi, I am getting a hearty laugh out of your grandmother's definition. &quot;Life in the culinary fast lane&quot; is a great visual. &quot;Edible perfection&quot;- yes, i have had that, and I can recall exactly where I was the times I hit that high feeling of &quot;this is a 10&quot;. I am not constantly in search of it though and I don't think I am in any type of fast lane to anywhere. But I really enjoy the pursuit of good food in my own kitchen and in restaurants and markets. Maybe I am a &quot;foodie-once-removed&quot; sort of person. Certainly there are others out there like me and we need our own designation.

I have to say that I am so looking forward to going to Jacques Torres chocolate factory in Manhattan on my upcoming trip to NYC. I used to love watching &quot;Dessert Circus&quot; every chance I got when it was on, and I am not even a huge chocolate fan. When I go to NYC on an expense account, I have enjoyed Aquavit, Bouley, Tribeca Grill, etc. On my own buck on this trip, I will be going to some of the very good prix fix pre-theater dinners and trying out some of the best vegetarian cuisine in NYC w/my veggie daughter.

Sincerely,
emd, F.O.R.
(Foodie-Once-Removed)