Super Pretzels

Yesterday my friends and I went to Publix to get some food to last us the weekend. While walking through the freezer aisle, I happened to come across the best thing ever, frozen soft pretzels. I had been craving a good pretzel since the last GT football game so it seemed like my prayers had been answered. But I am thinking I should've gotten two boxes because I just ate 4 of the 6 pretzels

Pixar Intro Parody

A few weeks ago a friend of mine showed me this video from College Humor. It's a parody of the intro to Pixar movies where the lamp jumps on the "I". When I saw the Pixar intro yesterday in Ratatouille I immediately thought of this.

Echinacea

Echinacea gets me through life without coughing, sneezing, and feeling achy. It's an all natural herb that boosts the human immune system. Throughout high school I would take echinacea regularly and would never get sick. However, when I came to college I stopped taking echinacea. It wasn't but two weeks in, I was sitting in health services feeling miserable. Now that I have recovered, I am taking echinacea every day. So far, I am yet to get sick again.

Echinacea has been used for hundreds of years. The Indians would use this herb for anything from head aches to fevers. Its been proven it tests to reduce the risk of catching sickness and also shortens the period of being sick. I highly recommend echinacea. You can purchase it an any drug store for pretty cheap.

Another dining hall

Across the street of North Ave on East Campus lays a wonderful area also known as East Side Market. East Side Market holds restaurants that are quite popular to Georgia Tech students, some include Quiznos, Pizza Hut, and Wingnuts. On top of that, it even holds a small convenience store in which a student can buy supplies (milk, juice, etc) without having to go all the way to Publix or Target. To students, this is a huge convenience having all these stores there, however, Georgia Tech is deciding to be stupid and is building another dining hall. Honestly, there is absolutely no point in having another dining hall in place of East Side Market, especially when the Brittain Dining Hall is right across the street, and if the reason is that North Ave Apartments need a dining hall then that is a horrible excuse. Students can walk an extra 500 feet, they probably need the exercise anyways. Georgia Tech does not seem to think a lot nowadays.

Bananas

"Why bananas?," you might ask, but bananas are a very important part of this world. People often see bananas as just a fruit that has potassium. Ok.....so what does that mean? Like I said earlier, bananas are a very important part of this world, mainly athletes. Bananas are important because they are the one object that can be digested very quickly, giving a quick boost of energy and power. On top of that, bananas serve as a means to prevent cramps. Tennis players, such as myself, often take bananas to matches, especially long and drawn out ones. So remember, whenever you think about exercising, be sure to bring a banana.

First try at cooking

Having spent a lot of money on food, I and some of my friends thought of trying out our luck on preparing food by ourself. So we all met areound 2 in the afternoon with some ready to cook meals and some breads. We set out on cooking these and it turned out to be real tasty. I know people who are lucky to have food at their homes, wouldnt have liked it as much as we liked as it was our effort which had gone in cooking these foodstuff. I really enjoyed it.

Awesome Date Restaurant

I was out with an old friend last week (on a date, if you will), and he decided to look up some popular mexican restaurants. He knew mexican (and Italian) is my favorite kind of food. After picking me up, we headed to Los Bravos, a restaurant in Marietta, that he had read reviews on. The food was actually really good! And the inside of the restaurant was pretty cool, too. I recommend Los Bravos!

Awkward Burger King: Part 2

My last post sparked another Burger king memory. Out of all the times I have been Burger King, this one time in particular stands out to me. I had an early day out of school with some friends and we decided to go to Burger King. I went to order first and I kept it simple and ordered just the classic hamburger and fries. The cashier then looks at me in all seriousness and says that they only have chicken today. I thought they were kidding and laughed but the cashier looked at me again and said she was serious. So, we left and went somewhere else. No burgers? At Burger King?! wow...

Awkward Burger King: Part 1

I have never been a big fan of Burger King. I prefer Chick-Fil-A or Taco Bell or Arbys. However, considering that I live close to one, I have been to Burger king many times. This past summer, my dad went to Burger King and came home later with an interesting story. Before I tell the story you should know something about my dad. He is one of the sweetest people I know but he is not very talkative at all which is why this story was so funny to me, because I could not see him approaching people randomly.

So, he went to Burger King and thought he saw a guy he knew from college. He gets his tray and goes over and sits in front of the guy, at the same table, being the only two people in the whole establishment. My dad proceeded to talk about college and the good times they had, asked where the guy had ended up, if he was married what he was doing, etc. About 30 minutes later my dad realizes this was not the person he thought it was and he gets up and walks out.

Dr. Tiff's Blog Post #3

In Defense of the Frugal Foodie

by Tiffany Tsao

The foodie is an elusively-defined creature. The Oxford English Dictionary describes the foodie as “[a] person with a particular interest in food; a gourmet”, yet sometimes differentiated from the gourmet in his or her “broad interest in all aspects of food procurement and preparation”. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary believes the foodie to be a trend-chaser: “a person having an avid interest in the latest food fads”. Yet, despite varying details of its “official” definitions, all evidence concerning its popular usage suggests there is one overwhelmingly distinctive trait by which one can identify a foodie: passion. Holiday editions of magazines offer special gift-suggestions for one’s foodie friends. Travel magazines provide destination advice and city-guides tailored especially for their foodie readers. There are foodie books, foodie clubs, foodie websites; the list goes on and on. The conclusion? Foodies are peculiarly interested in, fascinated with, mesmerized by, and intensely passionate about food.

Still, there are those who believe it takes more than mere passion to make a foodie. A foodie, they insist, a rarefied being. One whose passion for food leads him or her to be extremely discriminating about what goes in his or her stomach. One who couldn’t possibly conceive of eating a slightly wilted lettuce leaf, or a previously frozen salmon fillet, or (Heaven forbid) a microwaved TV dinner. I would argue that the term “foodie” has humble origins, but unfortunately, it doesn’t. First appearing in a 1980 New York magazine review of expensive Parisian restaurants offering nouvelle cuisine, the term was born with the metaphorical silver spoon in its mouth. Yet, despite the term’s high-falutin’ origins, I wish here to defend the frugal foodie’s right to existence. In fact, I wish to make an even bolder claim: that the frugal foodie is the truer foodie. For if the defining characteristic of a foodie is his or her passion for food, who could be more passionate about food than those who consider it a luxury?

Those who can afford to be picky with their food lose the ability to appreciate the fact of food itself in all its forms: fresh and frozen, fine and fast, flambéed and fried. In contrast, those who live on the lower end of the income spectrum—who limit themselves to whatever grocery items are on sale and who laugh uproariously at the fact that the “$25 and under” column of the New York Times dining section is written for the budget-conscious reader—are far more likely to spend more time enjoying what they eat and less time thinking about whether they could be eating something better.

It would seem that one’s wealth is directly proportional to one’s gastronomical expectations: when the former rises, so does the latter. The well-to-do shop at high-end supermarkets which sell higher-quality (and higher-priced) foods. At first, the $3.00 sale price for a box of organic Anne’s Homegrown Cereal at Whole Foods Market—a supermarket retail chain specializing in natural and organic products—may seem comparable to the $2.69 sale price for cereal at a lower-end Kroger supermarket. But upon closer inspection, Whole Foods offers far less bang for your buck: a measly 9 ounces of cereal as opposed to 14 to 25 ounces (depending what brand of cereal you choose) from Kroger. Alton Brown, the host of the Food Network cooking show Good Eats, often takes his viewers with him on trips to his local Whole Foods Market. He is also a finicky eater and a fussy baker. In one episode, which involves Brown repeatedly lamenting the evil store-bought atrocities made by an evil cake-retailer called “Cakes Mart”, Brown pooh-poohs the idea of using store-bought coconut milk to make coconut cake with a dismissive smirk: “You could...if that’s the way you want to play it.” Of course, Brown pays no attention to the struggling working mother cringing inwardly at his comments as she opts for the cans of coconut milk, so much cheaper than three fresh coconuts. And much to her delight, her four growing children will devour the whole cake and lick their plates clean. Of course, they would probably enjoy a cake made with fresh coconut milk. But then again, they would probably also enjoy one of those dreadful “Cakes Mart” cakes at which Brown wrinkles his nose so expressively. Unlike Brown, for this family, every coconut cake is a wondrous treat.

Unable to content themselves with regular and easily obtainable fare, the well-to-do have taken playing with food to new and utterly ridiculous heights. The Wall Street Burger Shoppe offers a $175 burger, made from Kobe beef (the most expensive variety of beef), topped with truffles, foie gras, Gruyere cheese, and flecks of gold leaf. The second most expensive burger in New York—served at DB Bistro Moderne in New York—costs $120. An article from Reuters includes the following quote from the bistro’s spokeswoman: “If you are making something concerned only about the price, you are off in the wrong direction.” Such a remark implies that the true food connoisseur realizes that high quality comes at a high price. But who would savor each bite of that burger more? The six-figure income-earning CEO for whom a $175 lunch is the norm? Or the lucky employee he treats to lunch who, chewing his burger in thoughtful amazement, experiences the taste of a truffle for the very first time? Such wild extravagance, from $100 burgers to $250 chocolate truffles (sold at Knipschildt Chocolatier in Norwalk, CT), demonstrates the inability of the wealthy to appreciate the plain old food that regular Joes and Janes indulge in. A McDonald’s cheeseburger and a Snickers bar? Maybe. If they feel like slumming it.

I speak partly from my own experience when I say that frugality increases one’s appreciation of food by leaps and bounds. During my time as a graduate student—not quite your archetypal starving student, but definitely a penny-pinching one—I gained a newfound appreciation for dining out, not just in high-class restaurants, but anywhere. Growing up in a fairly well-off family, eating in restaurants was an experience I took for granted. The onset of graduate school changed all that. Whenever my meager budget allowed me to pay professionals to cook my meals, I began salivating in anticipation days in advance. I scoured restaurant reviews online for recommendations about where to go. Once there, I would hem and haw over the menu, dazzled by the selections and trying to discern which one would most titillate my taste buds. I would linger over each bite of my carefully chosen selection. I would constantly express my joy at the mere fact of being in a restaurant to whomever my dining companions were. And if there were leftovers, I would lovingly tote them home, smiling inwardly at the prospect of enjoying them the next day. Sometimes, leftovers taste even better cold and a day old.

In her memoir about her experience as a New York Times food critic, Ruth Reichl observes a similar correlation between poverty and food appreciation, recalling the unexpected way in which a homeless man on the subway eats the leftovers she gives him: “I expected him to tear into the food and stuff it into his mouth, but he did not. With great dignity he spread the scarf on his lap as if it were a napkin....‘Roasted duckling!’ he croaked. And then, very delicately, he picked the leg up in his fingers and ate it slowly, savoring every morsel” (225-226). Despite her refined palate, developed over years of sampling the finest foods, Reichl herself seems to realize that she cannot hope to enjoy a roast duck in the same way that this man does; that she no longer takes the same pleasure in what has been made dreary by the demands of her profession. By her own admission later in the book, she grows increasingly cranky, writing bad review after bad review before finally realizing, to her horror, that her job is transforming her passionate love for food into a hollow shell of what it once was. To keep her love alive, she has no alternative but to quit the job which requires her to indulge in extravagant meals on a regular basis.

Perhaps the food essayist M.F.K. Fisher provides the most eloquent insight into poverty’s beneficial effect on the individual’s appreciation of food. Writing of the men and women who lived through World War II and the necessary frugalities it enforced upon society, she notes the awe and wonder with which they regard simple “luxuries” such as butter, meat, and eggs:

They will feel, until their final days on earth, a kind of culinary caution: butter, no matter how unlimited, is a precious substance not lightly to be wasted; meats too, and eggs, and all the far-brought spices of the world, take on a new significance, having once been so rare. And that is good, for there can be no more shameful carelessness than with the food we eat for life itself. When we exist without thought or thanksgiving we are not men, but beasts.

(Fisher 188)

If having no discrimination when it comes to filling one’s belly is a mark of the animal, Fisher argues that taking food for granted is also a sort of descent into animalism itself. It is when food in all its varieties acquires this “new significance”—when our eyes are opened to the yellow creaminess of butter (never mind what brand) and the gorgeous fiery orange of an egg yolk (free-range or coop-kept)—that all our senses are set aflame. Only then can a foodie’s true passion for food burn brightly and burn long into the sometimes cold, dark night of a thrifty existence.

Bibliography

“Coconut Cake Revival.” Host. Alton Brown. Good Eats. The Food Network. 9 Jul. 2007. Television.

Fisher, M.F.K. Introduction. “How to Cook a Wolf.” The Art of Eating. New York: Macmillan, 1990. Print.

“Foodie.” Oxford English Dictionary. 2009. Oxford English Dictionary Online. 24 October 2009

“Foodie.” Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2009. Merriam-Webster Online. 24 October 2009

Greene, Gael. “What’s Nouvelle? La Cuisine Bourgeoisie.” New York 2 June 1980: 32-41. Print.

Knadler, Jessie. “World’s Most Expensive Desserts.” Forbes Traveler.com. Forbes, 14 Feb. 2008. Web. 22 Oct. 2009.

Kroger Weekly Specials 10/28/2009-10/31/2009. Atlanta: Kroger, n.d. PDF file.

Reichl, Ruth. Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.

Trotta, Daniel. “New York City Now Home to $175 Hamburger.” Reuters. Reuters, 20 May 2008. Web. 23 Oct. 2009.

Whole Foods Market. This Week’s Specials: Wednesday October 21-Tuesday October 27. Atlanta: Whole Foods Market, n.d. PDF file.

Greatest iphone/ipod app ever

So I just wanted you all to know that there is currently a free app out called food network nighttime, you can watch your favorite episodes of your favorite food network shows. So if you can get it. Its awesome, I haven't slept since saterday night because I love this app. Get it. Love it.

Food culture of socioeconomic class in America

Food is one of the most crucial factors for a human being. There are some individuals who eat to live and there are some to live to eat! But whatever be their choice, the world indeed revolves around food. Therefore, understanding the socioeconomic status of people is critical to understanding what a foodie is.

The average middle-class people are not very foodie in nature; they restrict their expenses on food. On the other hand the rich class spend money on eating at costly restaurant joints, hotels. The middle class people would emphasize more on the richness and the taste of the food, than the nutrients and proteins present in the food. Conversely the survival strategy involves hoarding one’s food and other limited material goods for oneself in an every-man-for-himself philosophy.

Why define art as something expensive and time consuming? A “Foodie” is merely a connoisseur of his art: food. Being placed in different socioeconomic statuses would affect how food can be prepared, served, and eaten, but it takes no amount of importance of food itself. For the middle class “Foodie” the key to his or her art is merely creativity; designing new recipes around the obstacles of a busy work week, a hungry family, or a tight wallet. The middle class “Foodie” culture is still full of its art through its use of the Internet, innovative cooking shows, and a solid love for food

Each person is different in his/her own ways. Thus it would not be right to categorize them in groups and label them. As it is not really possible to look into the preferences of everyone, it is appropriate to categorize them to some extent. Looking at the teenagers, one would reminisce their school life, fun times, parties and a lot many fun things. Does anyone in here know whose Ronald McDonald? Surely, everyone won’t know about him, but a popular survey, which was carried out amongst the American school children, found that ninety-six percent could identify Ronald McDonald. I guess it would be wrong if I do not introduce him here for those who don’t recognize him; he is the mascot for McDonalds. The only fictional character with a higher degree of recognition was Santa Claus. Does his popularity strike us with something? Yes, the popularity of fast food joints amongst the teenagers.

However, teenagers can be categorized in the middle class segment. This group lives on lower incomes given by their parents or lives on their own expenses. These groups are lured by these fast food joints, which sell foodstuff like hamburgers, cheeseburgers, French fries, chicken products and milk products like milkshakes. Though these are not abundant in nutrients and proteins but as we mentioned in the thesis, people go for what they like and not necessarily for what is healthy for them. Also, a major factor supporting these fast food joints is the monetary aspect and quick service. As these joints sell their goods at cheap prices which tend and are intended to attract average class group.

On the other hand, the elite class tends to spend more money on food since they pay more attention to the brand or quality of food. Dining out is matter of pride and elegancy and money if rarely a hindrance. The only criteria’s for them are excellent food quality and exceptional dining experience.

Looking at the current situation, recession is the epicenter of all problems. Recession has brought about a drastic change were people have switched to saving every penny for the future. This has also affected the food market, for instance, less people are seen to visit it. Studies from the Tribune and the Dish column of Chicago Magazine have showed a significant slowing in plans to open a number of restaurants. Yet there are some places, which are still opening. But the ones with more elaborate and expensive undertakings have been reported on hold.

The insatiable need to win over clients; restaurants are trying to make their menus look more attractive with competitive prices of each item on the menu. However, the exquisite restaurants are not part of this rat race since these usually cater to the elite class. Also, what is being seen is that restaurants are going through a major change in their menu plans to encompass most of the age groups. Offers have taken a rise, which attracts more customers and thus let the restaurant make more money. One would come across several signposts saying ($15 instead of $25) for a Sunday lunch. Also, restaurant owners are trying to set different process for weekdays and for weekends, objective remaining the same, to attract more people.

Once on a vacation trip to Chicago, I happened to visit and dine at La Sardine, this place offered delicious food. People dine here although it is expensive. But as recession struck, it is believed that this too would suffer great loss in terms of its customers and thus the price value. But a visit to this place last month really amazed me. The place was still packed for its $25 three-course deal.

As value seems to be what everyone is yearning for, people are trying to make themselves comfortable in front of the television sets. Places that provide a good value continue to do well, these are not only the “cheap eats” part of the business, but these also include the sober places whose prices compare approvingly to competitors, whether or not they offering any deals.

Since popular shows like Julia Child’s: Lessons with Master Chef on television, and many other such shows which are getting people aware about the different culinary dishes, an Indian television news channel, on its live poll showed that there has been a rise in the number of people switching to such shows and enjoying their own cooked recipes. There have been many positive points in favor of these shows aired on television. People try and experiment with new cuisines; they spend less, which is very important in this period of recession. These shows have taken a different path and have popularized them by altering their way of presenting to their viewers. Innovative ways like reality shows such as Hell’s kitchen, Iron chef America and many more have caught the viewers’ attention. These have made the culinary shows a lot more interactive as it is not only about making different dishes but also about competition between two or more groups.

In addition to reality shows, Danny Meyer (CEO, Union Square Hospitality Group), talked about “The future of cooking and dining out”. He covered many topics under it like what will be the effects of recession, what is food television doing to society and many more. Moreover, what I applaud what he said, that even in the times of recession, people will ask for good food. Time will never come wherein people for the cost of money will go and have bad quality food. They will try to save money by forgoing the extra toppings and by dining in a cheaper restaurant, which doesn’t have unnecessary trappings like the real comfortable chairs or even great artwork done on the walls. Also I really appreciated his optimism about the food industry. He concluded by saying, “Behind every leaf that falls off there is a new bud that blooms and that is what keeps one going”.

Having studied all the above pointers, food industry is one of its kinds, which will not completely ruin its business during a recession period. The reason for this is simple: people need to survive. To boost this industry, is the online/television show, which helps people, keep in touch with new recipes. In the end I would like to say that in this period of recession, where not only the people but also the entire industry may it be entertainment industry, food industry or any other, are trying to reduce their loses. It can be rightly said that if one bellies up to that white tablecloth lightened up by candlelight and a well dressed waiter approaches one for his/her order, there are great chances of one asking,” Can I get a burger, please.” I would like to conclude by asking everyone in here “Has a restaurant dining experience stung you lately?

Refrences:

http://bigthink.com/dannymeyer

The New York Times: Dining and wine: Restaurants stop playing hard to get one

TV Shows: Hell's Kitchen, Iron Chef America, 30-minute meals with Rachael Ray, The French Chef starring Julia Child

Library cookbooks

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2008-12-08/the-ultimate-recession-food

Blog Post #3-The True Foodie

In the last decade, the topic of food gained major resurgence in popularity. The small number of food related programs featured on television such as “The French Chef with Julia Child” has grown exponentially. Food has captured primetime spots in television and has even gained its own network. Out of this resurrection spawned a new class of people: the “foodie”, a class that seemed to descend from Epicurus himself. The foodie aspires to expand his palate, looking to sample every taste available, and enjoying every moment even if the taste itself is not pleasant. Yet like most things great, the class of being a foodie has been tainted by popular mainstream and commercialization. The label “foodie” has become associated with expensive bistros and restaurants with 3 Michelin stars. Though being a “scene” foodie does require a certain socioeconomic class and a monetary dedication, being a true foodie requires nothing more than a desire to learn about new cultures by trying new foods and expanding ones palate.

With food now being broadcast through mass media sources, people are now tuning in. Whether it is through television, print form, or the internet, everyone can find food related information that feeds their needs. However, soon after people find programming that caters to their needs, corporations begin to capitalize on people’s desires and interest about food. By using names of popular chefs and personalities such as Wolfgang Puck or Marta Stewart, corporations convince budding foodies that they must buy products marketed by these personalities such as ceramic non-stick knives, copper bottom pots, or some super-duper melon baller that does the job in half the time. It is at this point that socioeconomic factors begin to play into the ability to be a foodie. Often the items presented through these personalities are overpriced, over adequate, and just unneeded. Yet consumers are convinced the products are needed, and those with lower incomes are dissuaded to pursue their interest in food. The “scene” foodie then arises. Feeling that the product they are presented with is better because of the food personality’s popularity, the “scene” foodie will purchase the products, feeling that they are more connected to the essential ideals of being a foodie and thus overlooking them, overlooking the fact that being a foodie is more about the joy gained from the preparation of food rather than the items used in the preparation.

Would-be foodies are also plagued with the fallacy that in order to be a true foodie one must only experience meals at top rated, expensive restaurants. Widely proliferated food reviews such as those available on “The New York Times” website or in their weekend edition highlight almost only restaurants with prices for dinner entrées averaging around a minimum of 25 dollars. Though there is a section dedicated to under 25 dollars, these price ranges still create a socioeconomic divide, allowing only those in higher economic classes the opportunity to enjoy meals worthy of being reviewed by an establishment with as much prestige as the “New York Times”. With only expensive meals being highlighted, the illusion that one must be able to eat at these restaurants to be a foodie coupled with the idea that the only good food is expensive food is created and enforced. This illusion is then used and morphed into a status symbol of those wishing to project the image of being a “real” foodie.

Though socioeconomic factors are present, few affect what it takes to be a true foodie. Being a true foodie is not eating at a restaurant recommended by “The New York Times” or having Martha’s newest bake ware. Being a foodie is about so much more. To see what being a true foodie means, its best to look to a single person: Anthony Bourdain.

In his show “No Reservations” on “The Travel Channel”, Bourdain travels the world, rejecting no food that is put before him. He savors the sight, the smell, and the taste. He appreciates the process of creating the food and the history behind dishes, taking it all into account while he enjoys every bite. He realizes that he is not just eating a dish but digesting knowledge of a culture. But in his quest for food, he does not only frequent world famous restaurants, but rather he visits the small, unknown eateries, sampling local cuisines that have been mastered over time. Though it is true that most cannot travel the world on whim like Bourdain can, this does not mean that it is not possible to be a true foodie like Bourdain.

Often the issue it brought up that those in lower socioeconomic classes do not have enough time to cook a proper meal that can be enjoyed. This is a false belief. Shows like “30 Minute Meals with Rachel Ray” present meals that can be made with little time and few ingredients. Even prestigious chefs present meals that can be made in under an hour. In one segment of his show “The F Word” Chef Gordon Ramsey literally goes into the kitchen with working families and demonstrates how working people can balance their daily tasks such as shuttling children to sport practice with cooking fresh and healthy food that is enjoyable relative to taste and preparation. Even without a chef coming into one’s kitchen and showing him the steps to take, one can still create a meal without spending copious amounts of time on the meal. Just by taking ingredients, one can experiment and see what can be created. Regardless of what the final product is, the process of cooking and enjoying the task is what constitutes one as a foodie.

If finding the time to cook and create is not an issue, there are plenty of television programs, websites and cookbooks that can take foodies on inexpensive culinary adventures. The Food Network is a prime example of how one can be instructed on how to cook. Just sitting and watching shows like “Paula’s Best Dishes”, “Barefoot Contessa”, or “Down Home with the Neelys” people can learn how to cook for themselves and how to do it cheaply. The recipes presented rarely call for expensive ingredients. With the internet, foodies can access websites with recipes from others, choosing recipes that have ingredients that tailor to their monetary needs. With all the current sources for inexpensive recipes, socioeconomic factors such as money should never be an issue for those wishing to be a foodie.

But being a true foodie is not only about cooking for oneself. It is also about leaving the kitchen and seeing what other cultures have to offer. Some may believe this requires traveling abroad. But it more so means exploring your surrounding community. Using websites like Yelp.com, foodies can search to find food from cultures surrounding them, adjusting search criteria to include restaurants that are within a desired price range. The local diners offered usually gives one the opportunity to get a more authentic taste of another culture, which is one of the things being a true foodie is all about.

Honestly to be a true foodie does not require having the best equipment, finding the best recipes, or eating cultural cuisines. All that is required is an interest in food, a component that can be filled in various ways. Reading food articles and reviews, voicing one’s opinion through blogging, or just watching shows truly about cooking can be enough to satisfy this interest. By sitting back and enjoying shows like “Iron Chef America”, foodies can enjoy the process and the effort put into cooking a meal. From the judges, they can come to appreciate how flavors, textures, and smells of different ingredients can complement each other. From shows like “Good Eats”, foodies can learn to appreciate the creativity of chefs and the fun that can come with eating a meal. Or by reading an article by Ruth Riechl, foodies can come to relate to others through their interest in food. An interest in food can be satisfied without even lifting a knife.

Even though popularity tends bring about imitators that spoil the label of foodie means, this does not alter what being a foodie truly means. Though society convinces most that being a foodie requires vast amounts of time and money, this is incorrect notion. Socioeconomic factors cannot stop a true foodie. Even without resources like the funds to go to a 3 star restaurant or the time to cook a five course meal for a family, there are always outlets for someone who has a true interest in food, for someone who is not just interested because it is the popular thing. The opportunity to truly experience and enjoy food is never absent, only hidden away, ready to be found by those who are truly worth to call themselves foodies.

Everyone loves to enjoy a fancy meal, to sit down at a high class restaurant, and eat high class food, or find a fancy recipe to create at home. In America today vast amounts of cookbooks, cooking reality TV shows, and the vast knowledge of the internet makes finding good food readily available to anyone. Some people believe to find the best gourmet food one would have to put out a pretty penny, but that is not entirely true. Anybody can enjoy good food no matter what their socioeconomic status so long as they go out and find it.

Food is everywhere in America. It advertised at every street corner, sold in many different ways, and presented to the general public in a variety of styles. Whether presented in Gourmet magazine, Iron Chef on TV, or a recipe website on the internet, food can be found anywhere, and by anyone.

It is true that there are some extremely famous and high class restaurants that only the elite can afford, but does that necessarily mean that they have the best food, and that good food cannot be found else where. As the comic writer Jorge Cham indicated in his comic, “Piled High and Deeper,” food taste is equal to food quality times hunger divided by cost. Just because the food is expensive does not mean that it will taste any better than a cheaper restaurant. The most important thing with food can go with the famous saying, “Hunger is the best spice,” no matter what the quality of the meal is, if one isn’t hunger for it, then it won’t taste as good as one who is starving. It is true that if someone wishes to follow the path of a food critic that a lot of time and devotion to food is needed. Though to the main stream public grommet food can be enjoyed by all no matter their socioeconomic status.

The highest class are able to afford the expensive meals at restaurants run by chefs like Gordon Ramsay, made famous by being the head chef in TV’s cooking competition Hell’s Kitchen. Though the draw back to some of these famous establishments is the long waiting list and high class formal dining, making reservations and proper attire a necessity. The food maybe good, but it takes a lot of effort to even be able to attend. Other high class society members choose to hire their own cook to make dinner for them. Since they have to money to be able to pay a chef they don’t have to worry about being able to cook.

Middle class families are the most dynamic class in what they choose to eat. Most middle class families have some sort of cooking experience among its members. They can create their own dinner experiences at home or they can also dine out on occasion. Not every restaurant costs an arm and a leg to go to. Most chain restaurants are good and they do not cost as much as the elite restaurants. Just because Ruth Chris’ Steakhouse is more expensive than Longhorns or Outback does not mean that their steaks will be better. People in the middle class society can even buy their own steaks and make it themselves. If they have the right ingredients they can make their own steaks taste just as good as any restaurant.

Even the low class people can eat well. Fast food restaurants are everywhere across America. McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s are just a few places that dot America, and they are cheap. Many people enjoy a cheeseburger at their favorite fast food restaurant. America has made fast food into a huge industry, and everyone has probably eaten fast food at one time or another. It may not be the best food ever, but the food is still good. Along with the lower and more affordable prices and quick stopping times, fast food restaurants fits better with people’s busy schedules.

Another resource to many people is the cookbook. Back in the past people kept recipes by word of mouth, and parents taught their children how to cook. As time went on people began to write their recipes down and exchange them with others. Finally, collections of recipes were brought together and sold in books. Now today there are so many cookbooks that with some digging anybody can find a recipe for any occasion.

Good food doesn’t have to come from an expensive cookbook with expensive ingredients or be written by a famous author or chef. If someone doesn’t know how to cook, “...with the book closed,” as the book, Bittersweet: Lessons From My Mother’s Kitchen by Matthew McAllester, would say, then there are many recipes that can just be read and repeated with little difficulty. Most cookbooks do not have complicated recipes or ingredients that are difficult to find, unless it is a specialty cookbook, and are simple enough for most people to follow. To make things easier more and more things are becoming pre packaged were the cook only has to add water or milk or a couple of simple ingredients, mix it up, and cook it.

There are cookbooks for every type of socioeconomic class and with a little digging they can be found at a variety of bookstores. Some cookbooks are specialized for their simplicity and little time preparation for the people who are too busy with other things than to cook all day. Other cookbooks are more complicated, for a more specialized cook, but because the price tag associated with the book is higher does not mean that it is better than a cheaper cookbook.

Since the TV was invented cooking shows have been constantly evolving over the years to fit our every changing view of food in America. In the beginning there were shows like the French Chef with Julia Child. These older shows demonstrated how to prepare a great entree of food. Most of the ingredients could be found at a local market and the instructions detailed enough for the common person to recreate the dish for friends and family. Back in these days many women still stayed at home, and could put the time into cooking.

However as time passed, the television became increasingly popular, and was used more for entertainment purposes. Good Eats with Alton Brown tried to be a good transitional show as it contained elements for entertainment, and elements for cooking. As a topic of the episode was introduced, Alton Brown has a story line to go with it, and the show was filmed in a more exciting fashion to keep the audience entertained. For example in the episode Coconut Cake Revival, Mr. Brown shows the audience how to make the perfect coconut cake, while looking for what happened to the famed “cake lady,” at his favorite restaurant.

As the attention span of the U.S. Still decreased people became more interested in seeing food as a medium of competition instead as an educational cooking, shows such as Iron Chef and Hell’s Kitchen started airing. Yet, to those who still want to learn how to cook education cooking is still around. Rachel Ray is one of the most popular names on Food Network as she cooks for a more modern time. Her thirty minute meals are aimed at the busy lifestyle of most Americans that cannot put the time into cooking. Today is has become so simple to make food that all one has to due is to place it in the microwave and heat it up.

The downfall in America is obvious, no matter what the socioeconomic status of an individual here in America most people are well fed. Some too well fed, no other place in the world has problems with obesity instead of starvation. The fast food restaurants are cheap ways to obtain food, and with the technology people have gotten both lazy or too busy to exercise. In the film Super Size Me, it is obvious what fast food is doing to America. The star of the show ate nothing but McDonald’s food for a long period of time, by the end of the movie he had gained an exponential amount of weight.

Lastly, with the addition of the internet any type of socioeconomic person can access any site and use it as a resource for their foodie experiments. Using the internet makes it easy to find individual recipes and more of what one wants. The older TV shows it was whatever the chef decided to do an episode on, and the viewer didn’t get a choice. Now people can go onto popular search engines and find any type of recipe they want. Any type of entree, dessert or appetizer can be found online. This makes any expensive cuisine recipes readily available.

It does not take a lot of money to eat well, and what one eats does not determine their economic status. Any type of status can eat well. Expensive prices does not mean that the food will taste any better than a cheaper restaurant. Just because it comes from an expensive cookbook, or it’s prepared by Gordon Ramsay himself, food is food, and it can be prepared by just about anyone.

Foodies of the World

What exactly is a foodie? Upon just saying or hearing the word, many people would assume that it is a person who really enjoys food; however, this includes most if not all people in the world. To narrow down the meaning of a foodie, one simply needs to look in a dictionary. The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as “a person with a particular interest in food; a gourmet.” Two crucial words that give this definition its meaning are “particular” and “gourmet”. Particular, as defined by the Oxford English dictionary, means “distinguished in some way among others of the same kind; not ordinary; worthy of notice, remarkable; special.” Gourmet is “a connoisseur in the delicacies of the table.” But what is the purpose of these definitions? The reason is, that in order to fully understand what affect someone’s socioeconomic status has on being a “foodie,” one must comprehend the definition true of a “foodie.”

The key word “particular” has a specific importance because all people have some sort of interest in food. Whether it is simply for survival, providing for a family or for sheer pleasure everyone realizes food has a vital role in life. The word particular is defined by words such as “remarkable” and “special”, so by adding this single word in front of interest the definition of foodie is narrowed down significantly. Since eating solely to survive does nothing to distinguish people from any other living organism, the homeless and the poor person are excluded from being foodies. While the homeless and poor probably have a greater appreciation for food, eating for survival is neither remarkable nor special when view on a broad scale. The word particular also excludes all people who do not go to great lengths or spend large quantities of money in order to get high quality food. Most middle class and working class people are preoccupied with the demands of everyday life such as raising families working, running errands, miscellaneous other everyday tasks. There for being a foodie also rules out middle class families and most other working class people simply due to a lack of time, not to mention a lack of money to devote to high quality food that being a foodie requires.

So by definition a foodie can only be an upper class person, due purely to cost and time. However, the definition of a foodie contains another key word, gourmet, which limits who is a foodie. A gourmet is not just someone who can afford and loves good food but also someone who has experience in eating and critiquing fine cuisine. This involves eating at the finest restaurants one can find, critiquing the best chefs, being well educated on all types of cuisine, and even cooking at home using the highest quality ingredients. A foodie is not something one can become over night. One must have an obsession with food to become a foodie because it takes vast amounts of time solely devoted to food. A foodie is further refined to the wealthy upper class people who can devote large amounts of time and money to every aspect of food whether it be preparation and consumption.

Some might argue that fine cuisine is a term relative to ones economic status, and therefore anyone could be a foodie. However, it is undeniable that all food is not created equal. Take for example the homeless man in Ruth Reichl’s Garlic & Sapphires. When Ruth gave him the left over duck from La Cote Basque restaurant he did not devour it immediately like one might expect, but rather he treated the situation specially and consumed the succulent duck with class and dignity. If given a hamburger this man would have inhaled it in a matter of seconds, but he realized that the duck was of something special, something that was of better quality than he could ever dream of affording. By a poor man recognizing that the food he eats is far less superior to that of high quality restaurants, he proves that the perceived quality of food does not depend on your socio-economic status. People that cannot afford high quality food know that there is better, likewise people who can afford great cooking know that there is worse. So the argument that excellent cuisine is a relative term is proven false.

Others might argue that the foodie culture is becoming part of the middle class with the increasing popularity of cookbooks, restaurant reviews, and cooking shows. It is clear from the definition that a foodie must be someone of high socioeconomic status due to the expensive and time consuming nature of the hobby. However, in every day jargon the term is used very loosely. In its most common usage a foodie is anyone that enjoys consuming, cooking, or studying food. There are no restrictions on who can be a foodie, as long as one is willing to put forth the time and has significant interest in food. One does not have to be a wealthy upper-class person who can afford the finest restaurants and the finest ingredients; it can be nearly anyone. Granted one needs some money to buy good quality ingredients and the literature associated with foodie culture (cook books, cooking magazines, etc), but it is not impossible for a person with a low socioeconomic status to become a foodie. While it is true that more people are buying into the cooking society, these people are not truly foodies. Calling a person a foodie when they watch Food Network, read the New York Time restaurant reviews, and own a few cook books would be like calling middle class man an entrepreneur when he reads the Business Week, follows the stock market, and watches The Apprentice. It just is not the same thing to have an interest in something and actually obtain something as high status as an entrepreneur or a foodie.

Television has helped perpetuate the idea that anyone can be a foodie no matter how rich or how poor that person may be. But who can blame them? Television revolves around making money, and the more people they can help become so called foodies the more money they make. Hit shows like Rachael Ray, Iron Chef America, Hell’s Kitchen, and Good Eats actually provide very little insight to the culinary world and make being a real foodie seem easy. There are two different types of shows that are one the Food Network. There are those that display professional chefs cooking so that you, the viewer, can learn from the best, and then there are those that try to directly teach you how to cook. The shows that display the top chefs in today’s society like Iron Chef America and Hell’s Kitchen are merely for entertainment. They make the viewer falsely feel some understanding of food and its preparation. These shows provide very little information about the various uses of the food being cooked and they provide little to no directions on how they are preparing it. While it might be entertaining to see the head chef yelling at everyone else, one can learn very little from this type of program. The other shows like Rachael Ray and Good Eats try to teach the viewer directly how to cook. Rachael Ray, for example, demonstrates how to create a great meal in only thirty minutes. The show does a good job of showing the actual process of cooking, but it is not a gourmet meal worthy of foodie status. Overall the Food Network does an excellent job of creating a false foodie culture with no substance behind the façade.

Cookbooks are much more productive than television in providing the basic steps to becoming a foodie. Learning to cook creates a spark of interest in food which is the basis for becoming a foodie. While most cook books do not have recipes containing five star meals they provide actual insight to the world of cooking unlike TV. This interest and knowledge of cooking and food in common ground for all foodies. Without a peculiar interest in food, a rich man eating at a five star restaurant is simply that. He is not a foodie any means because his only interest is in the reputation of the restaurant not the quality, preparation, or general information about the cuisine. Cookbooks help create an interest in all things food related, and they do so with some actual knowledge and substance behind it. However, the interest they provide alone cannot make one a foodie.

The foodie culture has been misconstrued into something that it is not. A foodie is by definition a person that has a unique insight on the world of high quality cuisine, but the media has tried to transform the meaning to accommodate people’s desires of grandeur. A true foodie must be someone who has a genuine interest in food, has the funds for the highest quality ingredients, and can afford the most well renowned restaurants. A foodie must not only be in the upper class, but also have the sufficient time to attribute to enjoying and critiquing food. The combination of obsession with food and a certain wealth is what makes a foodie a foodie.

Foodies: A Definition

Everyone has foods they love and foods they hate. But that does not instantly make a person a foodie just because they have likes and dislikes. A foodie is someone who appreciates food, a person who notices the subtleties in flavor that separate the good food from the great delicacies. Being a foodie means a person has a genuine desire to learn everything he or she can about food. A foodie also realizes that the best food in the world is only mediocre if there is no one to share it with. A foodie recognizes that mediocre victuals can be the best food he or she has ever tasted if it is consumed in good company. Foodies do not spend all of their time eating food; they enjoy preparing it and watching others enjoy it just as much. Being a foodie is a unique experience, and one that many people do not truly understand. Some believe that a foodie has to be upper class since it is difficult for lower class citizens to maintain a significant level of disposable income. However, it is not necessary for a person to maintain an income level to become a foodie. I believe that it is possible for an average, working class American to be a full fledged foodie without terrible sacrifice, and that being a more affluent foodie does not make the foodie experience more enjoyable than that of a working class foodie.

In today’s technology rich environment, anyone who has a television can easily access the wealth of knowledge a foodie desires. If a foodie wants to know the background information of a certain type of food, then he or she can watch a show like Unwrapped that offers a plethora of knowledge regarding all types of food and how it is produced. There are also shows such as 30 Minute Meals with Rachel Ray and Barefoot Contessa that are not the typical sort of cooking shows. These shows are unique in that they focus on particular meals that a specific audience relates too instead of a particular type of food. For instance, 30 Minute Meals with Rachel Ray focuses on meals for working parents that do not always have the time to cook full meals, but have to cook pleasant tasting meals in a short period of time, hence the title. Since a working class foodie will not always have the time to devote to more intricate meals 30 Minute Meals with Rachel Ray and other shows of that nature provide working class foodies with easy to fix meals that provide a trip outside of the ordinary meals.

Television is not the only technological advancement that allows working class Americans to easily access “foodie culture;” the Internet provides much more information than television networks such as the Food Network and the information is often time more user friendly and easier to access, though it may not be presented in a terribly interesting manner. The Internet does offer the recipes and the information on the background of food that is given on television, but it also offers information that is not always readily given when a foodie only watches the food network. Yelp.com is the perfect example of the detailed information that is available on the Internet. It offers restaurant reviews that are from everyday people, not from professional critics. This unique twist to restaurant reviews presents insight that is from other working class Americans, and therefore is probably more useful to a working class foodie. The Internet is just one reason why it is possible for a working class foodie to experience “foodie culture.”

Television and the Internet allow working class foodies to gain information such as restaurant reviews and recipes but that is only part of the lore of “foodie culture.” Spending time around the dinner table with the members of a foodie’s family is just as important to “foodie culture” as knowing recipes and the proper method of peeling a potato. Just take the idea of knowing a good recipe as an example. When someone learns a new recipe it is not so he or she can guard the information like a national secret. The recipe is learned so that it can be used to create marvelous gastronomical experiences that are shared with friends, family, and significant others. The only limit that a foodie’s socioeconomic status can place on this time spent together is limiting the type of food the foodie can get. Just because a foodie cannot afford to have steak and lobster every night does not mean that the time he or she spends around a campfire roasting weenies with friends is any less enjoyable and rewarding. Recipes and restaurant reviews enrich the foodie experience, but the core of the foodie experience is spending time enjoying food with others, and no amount of money can deprive a foodie of that.

It is true that a working class foodie can indeed enjoy the essence of “foodie culture,” but when it comes to experiencing the finer elements of said culture a working class foodie is severely limited. For instance, a working class foodie most likely will not be able to afford some of the better, more refined ingredients that make good recipes great. It is true that the everyday foodie will most likely be able to afford those ingredients for a single special occasion; however the increased price of the ingredients will eventually put an insurmountable strain on the foodie’s budget. Also, some of the finer restaurants have their menu offerings priced at a level that does not allow a working class foodie the opportunity to visit these restaurants, and they are therefore missing out on an important part of foodie culture. A foodie’s socioeconomic status does not stop him or her from experiencing most of what “foodie culture” has to offer, but it is undeniable that socioeconomic status does significantly affect a foodie’s experience.

The best way to show how socioeconomic status places a restrictor plate on a foodie’s experience is for one to consider the following situation. A completely fictional foodie named Wallace loves Italian food, and so does his wife Wendy. From all the reviews Wallace has read on various websites, he has learned that the best way to experience everything Italian cuisine has to offer was to visit Italy itself. The only problem is that Wallace has a limited budget. Since Wallace is the epitome of a working class American he makes somewhere around 50,000 dollars a year, and that fifty thousand has to support Wendy and their two kids. A round trip plane ticket to Rome, Italy from Atlanta, Georgia costs around 800 dollars. When one factors in that Wendy also wishes to visit Italy, the grand total for airfare is around 1,600 dollars. Also, add one thousand dollars to that for a nice hotel room for a week and 500 more for food. This means the trip would cost around 3,100. Now it is true that this is only a small portion of Wallace’s overall budget and that he may very well be able to visit Italy once with his family. However, he would not be able to visit without making significant sacrifices in other financial areas. According to mybudget360.com the average family spends 34% of a paycheck on housing, 4% on apparel and services, 11% on pensions and insurance, 6% on healthcare, 18% on transportation, and which leaves 16% to be spent on anything Wallace or his family desires. Since Wallace is the epitome of the average, he fits perfectly into these percentages. This means he has exactly 8000 dollars of income that is to be spent on everything from presents for he and his family, to candy and costumes on Halloween, and least of all on any other foodie endeavors he may undertake. Wallace would be able to save his money over the years and eventually fund his foodie excursion to Italy, but he would not be able to continuously visit.

A foodie is not defined by the means in which he or she experiences the foodie, but the level to which the food is enjoyed. Being a foodie means that a person enjoys food. A foodie enjoys learning about food, cooking food, smelling food, tasting food, determine the best ingredients for food; a foodie is someone who simply enjoys food. Being a more affluent person almost always makes it easier for someone to have a hobby, but that does not mean that a more affluent person will enjoy a hobby more than an average, working class foodie. When a foodie happens to be a working class citizen it is true that a person’s options are limited to a certain extent. However, that limit is only to a certain extent. Just because a foodie is in the working class and cannot visit Italy or Thailand to get authentic foods does not mean that he or she is not truly a foodie, it simply means that a working class foodies experience will be different than that of an upper class foodie.



The Squeeze on the Middle Class. Lauren Barack. 10/24/09. http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/HomeMortgageSavings/MiddleClassConundrumDoYouFitIn.aspx

The Disappearing Middle Class Dream. Posted by my budget 360. 10/24/09. http://www.mybudget360.com/the-disappearing-middle-class-dream-how-the-average-american-is-coping-with-the-recession-savings-banking-housing-and-investing-over-50-million-households-living-on-52000-or-less-a-year/

Food: Not just a Necessity but a Privilege

“Consumption of mostly junk food costs a mere $3.52 a day versus $36.62 per day on a nutrient-rich diet.” This Civil Eats statistic gives evidence that a person’s socioeconomic status directly relates to their overall health and opportunity to enjoy food.

A “foodie” is defined as a person who enjoys food and displays interest in it; and to “enjoy” means to pleasurable reap the benefits of something. So what are the “benefits” of food? Well food’s sole purpose is to provide nutrients and energy. After all, humans must eat in order to sustain life. Additionally, people also consume food for the purpose of pleasure, which creates the underlying problem. This pleasure of food builds the foundation as to why poor people are less healthy. Sure, if poor people try really hard to cook healthy meals on a daily basis then being healthy is a possibility. But to say that every day, one must cook three healthy meals a day is just unreasonable. My argument can be summed up with the question; can a person truly reap the benefits of food with little financial support? The answer is no.

“Adam Drewnowski, Director of the Center for Public Health and Nutrition at the University of Washington examined how obesity could be linked to neighborhood-level measures of economic prosperity and found that obesity rates reached 30% in very deprived zip codes but touched only 5% in the most affluent neighborhoods,” reports Poola Mottl. Again, when we take a look at the stats, poor people do not have the same resources as those who are better off.

In America today, obesity is at an all time high. At a constantly increasing rate, 31% of Americans are obese and 63% of Americans are overweight. Childhood obesity has tripled over the last twenty years. And 300,000 deaths a year result from obesity. These numbers jump off the charts. Doctors show that obesity leads to health problems such as heart health, diabetes, certain diseases, and increased chances of cancer. Somehow, people still love to eat unhealthy food. There is no way around the fact that people love to eat and are willing to sacrifice health in order to enjoy their food. So why are people so unhealthy? Here are two reasons: people want to eat for cheap and for pleasure. To do this, Americans often fill their needs with fast food. Fast food allows customers to eat for cheap while not sacrificing taste. A customer can order a tasty hamburger with greasy fries for next to nothing, this would satisfy anyone’s taste expectations. Some other fatal fast food menus consist of fried chicken, onion rings, cokes, milkshakes, and ice cream, all of which taste delicious but are extremely unhealthy. However, the main kicker to fast food is that it’s “fast” food. Nearly anywhere, at anytime, a hot meal is available. Whether your want breakfast before work or a late night snack at 2 AM, fast food is always there. It’s no wonder that so many people eat fast food everyday. So when a person is financially challenged, then fast food seems to be the best option.

American Industry thrives on the middle class by making fast food not just an option for dinner, but also a way of life. Fast food joints are on every corner, in every shopping center, on college campuses, in malls, even in neighborhoods. Businesses target people with unhealthy habits by making cheap food available anywhere we are. To display the affects of fast food, Supersize me gives a perfect illustration. Supersize me depicts the fast food industry by having one man eat all his meals at McDonalds, the most popular restaurant in the world. In this show, Morgan Spurlock has three different doctors monitor his health over a 30-day period in which he eats every meal and snack at McDonalds. Throughout the experiment, Spurlock must eat every item on the menu at least once. Also he must accept to upgrade his meal when asked by a cashier. This displays the fast food’s attempt to encourage unhealthy eating. Every single customer is asked if they would like to “supersize” their meal upon ordering, and Sherlock must accept each offer. Throughout the testing, Sherlock experiences all sorts of health problems from physical weight gain to psychological well-being. Over this time, he gains 26 pounds, experiences depression, mood swings, headaches, rise in blood pressure, and a loss in sex drive. He is even seen throwing up in the McDonalds parking lot trying to finish off a big mac. Sherlock claims that the only way to satisfy his mood swings is to eat more, which is later diagnosed as an addiction to the food. Throughout these trials, any viewer can see the obvious negative affects that fast food has on a person’s body. Sadly, this is often the best option for those who are economically challenged.

On the international level, the point remains. Other cultures have absolutely amazing foods that any foodie would love to experience. For example, traveling to Mexico to taste the native enchiladas with home made sauces; or traveling to China to indulge in raw fish with sweet soy dressings; or even visiting Italy and trying authentic Italian cuisine. All would which require plane tickets, hotel reservations, and lots of money. Even if this were a one-time deal, a person still gets to experience food on the international level. This reaches far beyond just visiting the local Mexican restaurant next door. When traveling overseas, one takes in the entire culture surrounding the food. The native language, people, places, land, and lifestyles all contribute to the integrity of the food. How would a member of the working class afford to take an international trip? They simply cannot, their socioeconomic status does not allow them. Also cruise ships and yachts often associate themselves with the best food in the world. These get-a-way vacations capture the whole dining experience by offering the best scenery and service while eating. One ship’s weeklong experience is described as, “forget the cruise-ship buffet. Foodies at sea can now enjoy the innovations of Charlie Palmer of New York City’s acclaimed Aureole restaurant on the Yachts of Seabourn, including tasting menus. And on Crystal Cruises’ Serenity and Symphony, passengers can experience the sushi extravagances of famed chef Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa without the hassle of waiting weeks for reservations at his landside restaurants (and passengers in Penthouse suites can even order Nobu from room service).” This unbelievable experience again proves the point that to truly capture the foodie understanding, one must be blessed financially.

Even in our own country, different cities and regions have made reputations for the food types they serve. Hotels are often host to five star restaurants. So to travel across the country pleads the same problem. People simply cannot afford to stay in these expensive resorts. Aside from just the food bill, it takes a great deal of financial support for hotels, travel, and transportation.

Looking in our communities, people still face the same issues. I was taken to the Palm restaurant for a recruiting visit where I was allowed to order anything I wanted. I will always remember this time because of how amazing the food was. I ate a steak that was the size of my head, tender lobster, bread, salad, and sides. This was hands down the best meal of my life. However, the bill for me alone was right around one hundred dollars. No way could a middle class person afford to spend that much money. All that money could buy twenty meals at a fast food joint. So they again miss out on the enjoyment of food. Not only does the bill get pricey but other factors also make eating out difficult. Many of these restaurants require fancy cloths and hotel reservations, which again restrain those who are less fortunate.

Similarly cooking at home takes a hit. For obvious reasons, underprivileged people cannot buy the finer meats, the freshest fish, the huge lobster, or the best wine. They simply don’t have the money. More specifically, cooking shows are only made available to those who are wealthy. A person must have cable or satellite and an Internet connection nowadays to stay on top of the foodie world. And even then, a person needs a digital recorder so that they don’t miss a step or ingredient when cooking. Surely someone can’t just watch a show and remember every detail and ingredient for cooking the dish. On the Internet side, it costs money to subscribe to websites for recipes and incite to cooking. One lady described her own experience by saying, “I'm a Saveur subscriber for now, my subscription is about to triple from $11 to $29, so not much longer.” This lady loses her access to this website merely because of her financial status. Again, the financially less fortunate take a hit when it comes to food.

Yes cookbooks, food memoirs, restaurant reviews, cooking shows, and "foodie culture" in American society have made the appreciation for good food available, but that does not mean it is affordable to many in the American society (lower or middle class especially). At least not on the level of what the upper classes can experience in dinning at high end restaurants, experiencing during luxury cruises, or renting or owning yachts with personal chief's, as well as traveling abroad to experience high end travel and dinning. They are trying to duplicate the experience of the wealthy or upper class and not actually experiencing it, totally due to economic restrictions.

www.Americansportsdata.com

www.dictionary.com

Golden, Fran. "Celebrity chef? crafted menus, dramatic dining rooms, and exotic ingredients: cruise-ship dining is seeing a wave of improvements." Sept. 2009. Web. Oct. 2009.

Mottl, Pooja R. "Good food for all: Here now." Civil Eats. 6 Feb. 2009. Web. 25 Oct. 2009.

"Supersize Me." Web. Oct. 2009.

A FOODIE’S DELIGHT

(BLOGPOST 2)

If you are done with the DVD’S lying in your shelf and are wondering how to spend that lovely Saturday evening, then CPK is the place to head. Considering I was a new breed in this city, my friends invited me to tag along with them to CPK, which happens to be their regular hangout joint. The place has a beautiful ambiance, serves delicious pizza and is truly a delight to spend your weekends.

CPK, better known as the California Pizza Kitchen, in reference to its name, is not just restricted to pizzas but serves a variety of appetizers, salads and some delicious desserts. CPK’s menu is extensive such that it caters to groups of people with varied tastes. A special mention to all the beautiful girls in town caught up with the size zero craze, this place is worth a visit. The place not only serves mouth-watering pizzas, but also takes care of the nutritional value present in the food to eat. Each item has a special mention about the calorie content. Because of this, people won’t have to worry about increasing waistline. A quick glance at the menu and it didn’t take long before I placed my order. It was a delightful sight to watch the waiters, move up and down, through the small areas, between tables and serve lip-smacking food. Wanting to try delicacies that we had never tried before, we ordered the new Four Cheese Ravioli as an appetizer; the scrumptious cheeseburger pizza as main course and to top it off, the sticky toffee cake was an utterly pleasant experience. Ravioli had the right blend of herbs, along with cheese, which includes Asiago, cooked in Alfredo sauce. The ravioli was cooked just right with nothing falling short to its flavor. Have you heard of a cheeseburger pizza? Though, personally I didn’t like it, it was a different experience, to have eaten a pizza topped with the same ingredients as in a burger. To add to the fun, I loved the fact that they constantly refilled our glasses with ice tea, even though they weren’t completely empty! However, don’t expect too much from the pastas served here, as the pasta happened to be way too ordinary and tasteless.

India is said to have one of the best cuisines in the world. And complimenting a different cuisine after having stayed in India for my entire life is quite a compliment by itself. India, a place where food is characterized by a sophisticated blend of diverse spices, herbs and various vegetables, the simplicity of the pizzas delivered by California Pizza Kitchen was even so quite a treat, suiting the Indian taste buds well at the same time. What really attracts one to this place is its ambience, which is completely relaxed and comfortable, doesn’t matter at which time of day. The place gives you options of seating indoor and outdoor as well. My personal choice is the outdoors, where one can enjoy the beautiful weather, breeze blowing and watch many people walking here and there to shop for things. So, if you’ve ever been to this mouth watering place recognized as the California Pizza Kitchen restaurant, any Indian at first instance for sure would remember those yellow cabs running in India, considering the place is in shades of Yellow and Black, including its logo. Leaving humor aside there’s an abundance of yellow and a casual, simple atmosphere, which forms the heart of the design about this eating-place. With a diner-like interior and plenty of booths, tables and chairs, the décor is simple and always clean and efficient, just the way you always expect it to be.

Another key aspect one looks at judging a restaurant is, service. Needless to say, I was really impressed by the friendly service provided by the waiters. Though the service was a little slow but when delivered to eat would be better served than what one would expect it to be served as. What really was amazing about this restaurant was that it even offers a “Menu Adventure guarantee” which says that they will replace your meal with a new one if you’re unsatisfied. It’s a great, risk-free incentive to try something different. I really enjoyed visiting this restaurant and ever since this place has become our hangout spot. I could say this as the very next day we had a second trip to this wonderful place.

If being a vegetarian is a concern, then please keep it aside, for it has various options of toppings for vegetarians. In fact they even custom prepared a special pizza for me. A look at CPK’s menu made my mind sing the song ‘I gotta feeling that tonight’s gonna be a good night’. The breath-skipping aroma around this place attracted people; this place did provide one with sumptuous meal. But as a matter of fact it did cost one a lot for each of them. I would say this place is good spot for one to commemorate their good times. However it’s not the place to be for those looking out for cheap meals as each of these delicious pizzas which get ones’ taste buds asking for more cost around 12 to 13 dollars. In India the best of the pizzas cost around 300 to 400 Indian Rupees which comes to around 6-8 USD. But asking around and going to other pizza parlors, I found that it is a reasonable rate for USA.

Because I am a teenager, pizzas are like, my staple food. Like any other mother who would be against it, my mum was no different. Being an Indian, pizzas for me meant Dominoes and Pizza Hut – India’s most favorite pizza joints. However dining at CPK was an interesting as well as a completely different experience for me. From the minute I stepped in and until we walked out the doors, the aroma just kept adding to my taste buds. As I said before I have a thing for pizzas so I could not actually resist going only to this place. I really wanted to know the truth about the food chain in America and as to how it delivers and brings its customers closer to it. Going over the known chains were Dominoes, Rudy’s NY Pizza and CPK. Going over the realities of all these marketers of pizzas, made me realize that CPK indeed had left the rest two behind in its race. Dominoes is a one of a kind which prepares good and delicious pizzas but its short coming is that they only focus upon delivery, having very less sitting arrangement, which drops them down the large market for it. Other one being Rudy’s, which too is a well known pizza spot but it too has a very minimum variety in its vegetarian segment, dropping down its opportunity to driving vegetarian people to its market which minimizes their scale on the vegetarian scale. Watching over the last one and having researched over it for much, it really overwhelms one with its excellent service, delivery and specially the variety it provides one with.

Another interesting and unexpected thing on my second visit to CPK was that there was a birthday party going on. I later found out that they hold special parties for children under 10 providing free meal to the child and additional low fee of 10$ per guest. The joy on the birthday boy’s face and the happiness beaming off the rest of the kids made the place look more inviting than ever. It was an absolute amazement for the children as, in went the pizza with the topping from one side and out it came from the other, ready to be munched on.

To sum it up all I will say is that my experiences may land up being very rare but they have been for sure one of its kinds and not just once but every time that I have been there. “A lot can happen over a cup of coffee” ,a tag line of Cafe Coffee Day in India, but for my friends and me a lot of memories have taken place upon hot, steamy ,all spiced up and to add to it delicious mouth watering CPK pizzas. CPK Pizzas – Worth a visit. Whom are you waiting for? Go, Check it out!!!

CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN

Location : Atlantic Station

264 19th Street NW, Ste. 2150

Atlanta, GA 30363

Contact Us: 404-294-7034