Foodies

Are you a Foodie? Well I had heard that term for a while and I wasn't sure whether I was or not.....I guess I'm still not sure. But because I like good food and after writing about San Miguel not being a culinary mecca, I thought that maybe I should find out what a Foodie is.

I looked in Wikipedia (where else?) and I found out that Foodies are a distinct hobbyist group in the United States and that a Foodie is different from a Gourmet. Gourmets have refined taste and might be professionals in the food industry. They want to eat the best foods.

But Foodies are strictly amateurs. They just like to know everything about food, the preparation of food and they are the ones who have created the celebrity chef and the rash of cooking magazines. They watch the food network, buy kitchen gadgets at stores like Williams-Sonoma and they follow what is happening in the restaurant industry. They like to frequent organic farmer's markets or buy their wines or cheeses from the vineyards or dairies where they are made or even go to the farm to pick their own vegetables and fruits.

Hmmm....I do like to learn about ingredients and try new recipes. When we were in the States, we watched the cooking shows...although that may have been because network television was so bad. I liked to look in Williams-Sonoma type stores but I didn't buy much. I take Fine Cooking Magazine. And I like to try new restaurants or find little out of the way places that have good food. So maybe I am kind of, sort of, one of those Foodie people.