Are You A Foodie? - Politics Forum.org | PoFo

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Are You A Foodie?

1. Yes, I Consider Myself A Foodie; I Enjoy The Pleasures of Food For Its Own Sake.
9
43%
2. No, I Am Not A Foodie: Food Is Fuel, Plain and Simple.
7
33%
3. Other.
5
24%
#14965477
In honor of the upcoming holidays, where people traditionally stuff their guts with all sorts of tasty dishes, I have come to reflect on good food and how food literacy has become increasingly ubiquitous with the advent of the "foodies."

From Wikipedia:

A foodie is a person who has an ardent or refined interest in food and who eats food not out of hunger but due to their interest or hobby.[1] The terms "gastronome" and "gourmet" define the same thing, i.e. a person who enjoys food for pleasure.

The "foodie"—not as elitist as a gourmet, more discriminating than a glutton—was first named in print in the early 1980s. The term came into use almost simultaneously in the United States and Britain. Priority goes to Gael Greene, who, in June 1980, wrote in New York Magazine of a character who "slips into the small Art Deco dining room of Restaurant d'Olympe ... to graze cheeks with her devotees, serious foodies."[2] Immediately afterwards the foodie was defined in the British press. Ann Barr, features editor of the London magazine Harper's & Queen, had asked readers to comment on a then-new obsession with food. Several readers' responses named Paul Levy, food writer on the same magazine, as the perfect example. Levy played along,[3] contributing an anonymous article in August 1982, defining the term ("Foodies are foodist. They dislike and despise all non-foodies")[4] and characterizing himself as the "ghastly, his-stomach-is-bigger-than-his-eyes, original, appetite-unsuppressed, lip-smacking 'king foodie'".[3] The word gained currency rapidly, partly because Barr and Levy followed up with a book, The Official Foodie Handbook, published in 1984.[5]

Foodies are a distinct hobbyist group. Typical foodie interests and activities include the food industry, wineries and wine tasting, breweries and beer sampling, food science, following restaurant openings and closings and occasionally reopenings, food distribution, food fads, health and nutrition, cooking classes, culinary tourism, and restaurant management. A foodie might develop a particular interest in a specific item, such as the best egg cream or burrito. Many publications have food columns that cater to foodies and many of the websites carrying the name foodie have become popular amongst the foodies.[6] Interest by foodies in the 1980s and 1990s gave rise to the Food Network and other specialized food programming, popular films and television shows about food such as Top Chef and Iron Chef, a renaissance in specialized cookbooks, specialized periodicals such as Gourmet Magazine and Cook's Illustrated, growing popularity of farmers' markets,[7] food-oriented websites like Zagat's and Yelp, publishing and reading food blogs like Foodbeast and foodieworld, specialized kitchenware stores like Williams-Sonoma and Sur La Table, and the institution of the celebrity chef.

Foodies have a significant social media presence; food lovers have created their own YouTube channels where they show what they cook and where they eat around the world.[8] It has also become a common practice to take photos of food and beverages consumed at home or outside and share them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or other media in a form of food porn.[9]


So POFO......

Are any of you Foodies?

Let me know in the poll and tell me about your favorite dishes that you have eaten or prepared.

Happy Holidays.
By Sivad
#14965488
I enjoy cooking but I rarely make fancy meals. Mostly it's just meat and potatoes peasant cuisine in my house. I rarely ever eat out(unless you count the roach coach).
User avatar
By One Degree
#14965501
Oops. I clicked ‘Other’ but it should have been ‘no’. I enjoy food, but apparently not to the level others appear to. I would never spend time preparing something special. I enjoy good wine but don’t have any interest in wine tasting. Lived next to a winery of a friend. It was interesting for a day or two.
#14965539
Yes

I enjoy cooking and also enjoying the end product. There is definitely a metabolic thing going on in our house, though. Mrs Cartertonian and several of the kids are the sort of crave carbohydrate and love bread, pasta, potatoes etc, whereas for me the carbs element has always been the 'carrier' or 'padding' for the nice, tasty stuff. If we do a chilli con carne with salad and baked potatoes, for example, I will frequently eat the chilli and the salad and leaved my potato uneaten. That said, I do also like to fry up the potato with some onions the following day. Many a top meal in Chez Cartertonian is made from leftovers! :D
User avatar
By blackjack21
#14965546
I submitted "other", but probably should have submitted "yes".

If I make a pasta dish, I usually make my own noodles and sauces. I've gotten intrigued into the base of sauces, and how so much starts with a bit of EVOO, salt, red pepper, garlic and finely-chopped shallots. I start my red sauces that way, but I also start a Thai basil chicken (Gai pad graprow) that way. After those base ingredients, things differ considerably.

I cook my steaks with Montreal steak seasoning and Worcestershire sauce as a quasi-marinade. I coat both sides with Montreal steak seasoning as a rub. I buy Worcestershire sauce by the gallon and put it in a spray bottle, because I'm not a fan of the shake-a-few-drops method. I spray an even mist of Worcester on both sides. I let my seasoned steaks come up to room temperature--usually about an hour--before tossing 'em on the grill. For whatever reason, people rave about my steaks, but they don't believe the recipe I use is that simple.

For mashed potatoes, I go with a healthy brine. I'm on the fence whether I should use russet, red or golden potatoes, because I think you pretty much have to skin mashed potatoes. I like rustic style, but I rice my potatoes. People go gaga over that too. I use quite a bit of butter and heavy cream, and I add finely chopped chives so that I don't have to rely too much on salt for flavor. Sometimes I'll throw in some cream cheese, other times no.

I have a manual crank pasta machine, and Kitchen Aid extension--much easier. However, I'm still thinking about going for the pasta machine, as I think that's probably the easiest way to make your own.

I've made my own Chicken Tikka Masala, but I think it's too much work. So sometimes, I'm just too lazy.
User avatar
By MistyTiger
#14965552
Yes.

I like all sorts of food, not just the sweets.

For lunch I'll pop a casserole in the oven. I like ones with pasta and vegetables and something like cream of mushroom or tomato sauce. Most people don't realize that you actually have to cook the pasta and toppings on the stove before you throw them in the casserole dish and push it in the oven for half an hour. Otherwise, the pasta will still be raw and stiff and someone with a sensitive stomach like me could get a stomach ache from the semi-cooked pasta. And I enjoy food made with gluten flour or gelatinous flour, it just has a different texture. Dim sum is made with these types of flour so it has that gummy texture and it shines like a pearl. It's really pretty.

I believe that food should look good and taste good.
User avatar
By Rancid
#14965554
Other:

Yes, I like food, but I would not call myself a foodie.

I'm much snobbier about alcohol though. I HATE SHIT COCKTAILS.
By ness31
#14965593
blackjack21 wrote: I buy Worcestershire sauce by the gallon and put it in a spray bottle, because I'm not a fan of the shake-a-few-drops method. I spray an even mist of Worcester on both sides. I let my seasoned steaks come up to room temperature--usually about an hour--before tossing 'em on the grill. For whatever reason, people rave about my steaks, but they don't believe the recipe I use is that simple.


What a great idea. I was at peace with using my Worcester sauce a la flambé with steak :lol: but your method sounds like the way to go.

I’m also a big fan of cooking with sake. It’s an odd habit I’ve acquired and for no particular reason :lol:
User avatar
By Drlee
#14965793
Yes.

I love food and a wide variety of it. I enjoy the right wine with a meal. Spending a lot of money is not important. Finding enjoyable flavors and unique recipes is the deal for me. I am a pedestrian cook so I rely on the kindness of strangers.
User avatar
By MistyTiger
#14965874
Rugoz wrote:So Americans refuse to call themselves Gourmet because it's too classy. How typical. Foodie...what a stupid word.


Maybe it's a matter of them not knowing the word or being afraid of pronouncing it wrong. My hometown is a french word but when people mispronounce it, I definitely cringe and I'm not even French.

Foodie just sounds catchier I suppose.
User avatar
By Godstud
#14965891
Lazy Foodie.
I can cook, but rarely try to cook anything special, as I do only a middling job, when I do.
User avatar
By blackjack21
#14965897
ness31 wrote:What a great idea. I was at peace with using my Worcester sauce a la flambé with steak :lol: but your method sounds like the way to go.

I quit drinking, so I haven't been doing any flambé lately. My uncle is coming down for the winter again. I can entertain him with that--maybe a bourbon peppercorn sauce.

Amber Glass Spray Bottles with Labels (2 Pack)
McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning
Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce, 1 Gallon
There. Made it easy for you.

I've gotten into sous vide in the last year. I use this:

Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker | WI-FI + Bluetooth | 900W | Anova App Included
Pretty much everything turns out great. However, if you do rib eye cap steaks, they look pretty rare if you keep the string on. I just use a grill pan and a torch, although some people swear by a sears-all.

I still haven't done a tri-tip sous vide. I do that on a grill. I have the Char Broil Tru Infrared gas grill, so I never deal with burnt meat, but it's a pain to clean it. For that, I use a cordless drill with a wire wheel brush.

Forney 72733 Wire Wheel Brush, Coarse Crimped with 1/4-Inch Hex Shank, 2-1/2-Inch-by-.012-Inch

How about pans? Mine are shit. I've been thinking about getting some copper Mauviel pans, but have found other uses for my money lately.
By ness31
#14965921
Oh my. You’re at the sous vide-ing stage of your culinary career. You are a true food enthusiast! I’m not there yet. But I believe the results to be quite special.

For that, I use a cordless drill with a wire wheel brush.


Hardcore and practical.

Regarding pans, mate, I’d love to invest in the proper stuff but I don’t have the dough. I do a lot of window shopping though. I know exactly how I’d want my kitchen to look if money was no object :lol:
User avatar
By One Degree
#14965923
Sous vide seems a silly reason to risk your health. I feel the same way about letting meat ‘sit’ before cooking. The little extra flavor is not worth the risks.
By ness31
#14965929
How does the sous vide method risk ones health? I just thought it was cooking meat in a plastic bag in water at a certain temperature until it reaches a temperature. Or something like that lol...
User avatar
By One Degree
#14965930
ness31 wrote:How does the sous vide method risk ones health? I just thought it was cooking meat in a plastic bag in water at a certain temperature until it reaches a temperature. Or something like that lol...


It doesn’t reach the prescribed cooking temperatures for restricting bacterial growth. They say it is safe if you are careful about adhering to necessary guidelines.
By ness31
#14965931
Oh. The rare meat thing. Gotcha.
User avatar
By Drlee
#14965946
@blackjack21 I do that on a grill. I have the Char Broil Tru Infrared gas grill, so I never deal with burnt meat, but it's a pain to clean it. For that, I use a cordless drill with a wire wheel brush.


I have that same grill and it is super. The steaks come out much 'juicier'. You are right though. It is a PITA to clean but I will try your method.

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