Friday, October 14, 2011

How to Be a Foodie

I so wanted to create a recipe from this week’s selection from the Gourmet Live list of 50 Women Game-Changers in the food world that I and a number of fellow food bloggers are paying tribute to by posting a recipe from each on Fridays. Today’s spotlight is on Pim Techamuanvivit, author of The Foodie Handbook and her blog, Chez Pim.


Unfortunately article deadlines and a virus I caught from the preschoolers I teach in my non-writing life got in the way.

I did read Pim’s book. I almost didn’t. In the first chapter, How to Eat Like a Foodie, she comes across as a food snob by slamming fast food, and then making it sound like three-star restaurants are the only ones worth trying. (She gives tips on how to not be intimidated when you go into one.)

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m a food snob about a lot of things, too. I think every foodie is in one way or another. We love exceptional food! I will only eat real maple syrup that actually came out of a sugar maple tree, and I will only drink coffee from bags, not cans—fair trade and organic, if possible. I believe that local food is better than stuff shipped from across the country, and organic produce and dairy are better than conventional.

But, on the flip side, I do enjoy fast food. I prefer buying it from a local restaurant, but I will eat a McDonald’s quarter pounder or a Wendy’s spicy chicken sandwich when the craving strikes. Perhaps it’s because I’m old enough to remember when going to a fast food restaurant was a treat and adventure instead of an everyday event. A trip to McDonald’s was a special occasion, which made my little cheeseburger and bag of fries taste gourmet. And this was in the days before the Happy Meal hit the market. And while I enjoy three-star restauants, I think local diners and cafes are just as wonderful.

However, I’m glad I kept reading Pim’s book, because there is a lot in it with which I agree. Especially in her section where she lists 50 things every foodie should do or try once in their lifetime: Find your signature dish. Learn to make perfect pie crust (stay tuned for a future blog on that topic.) Eat a perfect peach. Try stinky cheese. Go native (food, that is!) Spend a week in New Orleans (a dream of mine.) Learn how to cook your mom’s or dad’s best dish. And on and on. The list was both inspiring and brought back some lovely memories.

So I changed my mind about Pim and her Foodie Handbook, and I’m looking forward to giving her recipes a try sometime. Read her book and decided for yourself. In the meantime, here is a list of my fellow food bloggers so you can check out their experiences with Pim’s recipes.

Nancy - Picadillo

Before I got sick, I did post a cookbook review and a terrific pumpkin muffin recipe on my food-travel blog, Midwest Life and Cuisine. You can check it out here.

5 comments:

  1. Have you ever considering travelng as a food writer combined with the services of couchsurfing.com? Buy a folding bike, travel by bus...not an easy luxurious life, but it sounds amazing to me. I'm not in a relationship like you are, though, and my venture would be costly, time-wise.

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  2. Tee, I would love to travel and write about food full time, which I try to do with my blogs. I've never heard of couchsurfing.com--I'll have to check it out. I love how adventurous you are with your bike!

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  3. I visited your other blog---pumpkin muffins are one of my favorite things on earth, and yours look delicious.

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  4. Thanks, Sue. I just finished my last article assignment for a while, so I'm hoping to post more on both blogs now that I have time to cook! :)

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  5. Very nice post...I'm a huge snob when it comes to the tea I drink!

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