Pondering the Word "Foodie"

It seems like everyone's claiming to be a foodie these days. What amuses me is the tussle between various foodie groups - apparently, if you merely like food, you're not really a foodie. Or if you write about food, you're not a foodie, you're a gourmand or perhaps merely a snob.

Whatever. It's a silly debate - I really don't care enough about it to split hairs over terminology. Foodie is what foodie is: a useful term for describing people who give attention to quality food and quality preparation.

What I find interesting is the sheer amount of bandwidth being spent on the topic of food. It's not as though restaurants are a new phenomenon. Nor are restaurant reviews, nor are blogs...and nor are farmers' markets, for that matter.

So why so much chatter?

I think Americans are finally waking up to an uncomfortable truth: Much of our food simply isn't good for us. Preservatives in food, hormones in milk, animals overcrowded...added to oversized portions and unhealthy preparation. We're literally eating ourselves to death.

{One very important side note: I grew up in a rural state and was active in the 4-H program. I know many, many, many farmers that do the right thing and work hard to bring good food to the American table. I'm forever thankful for their hard work and the lessons I learned about health and good nutrition thanks to my years in 4-H.}

To that end, I think it's ok to be a self-branded foodie. Here's to homemade bread (with just five ingredients), hormone-free milk, homemade gooseberry jelly and fresh-from-the-farm veggies!