Reclaiming "Foodie"

I promise not to use this blog as a venue to ramble on and on about my personal thoughts about food. There will be a few of these "musings" sprinkled throughout, but before moving onto the recipes I wanted to do one thing I think is of critical importance. It is time to reclaim the word foodie!

I have rarely been shy to pick up a label if I think it fit. In chronological order I have proudly called myself an environmentalist, a Democrat, an activist, a feminist and--while all the previous still apply to various degrees--a foodie. In playing role of the proud (fill in a label), I have come across the following statements (yes all of them):

"Oh I care about the planet, but I don't think I could chain myself to a tree."

"I agree with the Democrats and will vote for them, but I'm not a Democrat."

"I agree with your cause, but aren't activist those crazy guys with signs?"

"I believe in equality, but femi-Nazis are scary!" (Note: I HATE that word!)

And most relevant to this blog:

"I love food and I love to cook, but I don't think I know enough to be a foodie."

OR

"I love food and cooking, but I also like fast food, so I'm not a foodie"

OR

"I love food, but foodies are those snobby guys insisting on foie gras, caviar and drinking theright wine with their meal!"

For each of these labels I already begrudgingly agreed there are individuals or even organizations that exemplify the negative. While I respect some of their work and certainly support the overall cause I do take issue with Greenpeace tactics and I have grown jaded by much of the Democratic Party. But I have also argued again and again that for each of these labels there have many outspoken individuals or groups tarnishing that label such as Rush Limbaugh and other conservatives exaggerating or demonizing efforts of feminists.

So borrowing from the Vagina Monologues and the piece: "Reclaiming Cunt", one effort of this blog will be to reclaim the word foodie. For this I offer the following definition of a foodie:

foodie (noun): A person who loves food.

It's that simple! Are you a foodie? If you're still here I'm going to guess you are. I can hear you now: "Leran, that's definition is way too simple! There must be more to it!" Ok ok, for those fellow academics out there I guess I can offer an expanded definition:

foodie (noun): A person who substantially enjoys thinking about, preparing and/or eating food for more than just survival.

Better? Notice I did not say anything like "a great understanding of culinary history" or "will never eat fast food". If you watch shows like Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations or Alton Brown's Feasting on Asphalt these celebrity chefs--hailed as deeply knowledgeable about both cooking and eating food--often alternate between street food, dining in someone's home and fine dining. Food personalities all over television and the printed word are praising the pleasures of simplicity. Let me offer an example: sushi.

Besides the exoticness of it being raw, what is so special about sushi? It's raw fish often without any marinade or seasonings. You're just enjoying a good clean hopefully quality piece of fish on rice. Simple is good. Greasy can be very good.

So I urge you to stop treating foodie as if it is some unattainable title or some exclusive club. If you follow these three rules I think you can proudly count yourself among the many foodies out there:

1. Foodies are adventurous. That's not to say you can't be a bit picky or have boundaries. I'm very picky (something I'm working on and will be writing about soon), but I will always try a new food if served to me.
2. Foodies eat for pleasure as well as survival. When presented with the choice of spending an extra few minutes making pasta or a decent sandwich over cheap ramen, you pick the former. Or if you choose to grab something at a deli for a dollar or two more than the value meal at McDonald's. Sustenance is important, but I very much believe when you have the time and/or money you will be much happier with the foodie choice. (I know some of you like the cheap ramen ot McDonald's and in the spirit of my definition I only use those as personal examples.)
3. Foodies opt for quality when possible. This does not negate what I have said above, but a burger can still be greasy, for example, when it is made with quality grass-fed beef. To be fully adventurous you can't always get local or you can't ask the street vendor to buy organic, but when your budget allows and you have the choice, I believe a foodie will strive for better ingredients in terms of taste and sustainability.

That's it! Enjoy your fancy French dinner or your Chik-Fil-A. Bottom-line is if you love food proudly call yourself a foodie!