A Foodie is a Foodie

We live in a world of differences. People have different languages, different body types, and different likes and dislikes, but the remarkable thing about us is that we are all still the same. Our humanity unites us, so even though we have obvious differences, we are brothers of the same species. Society has bred a vast amount of the differences that too often segregate people from each other. Socioeconomic status plays a large role in what people do now, especially during this recession. Families are eating out less often, leaving fine dining to the upper class. It is definitely easier to be a foodie with more money, but what isn't? Though each foodie has a different financial situation, they all share the same love for food, the essence of being a foodie. Socioeconomic status forces foodies to use measures other than money to satisfy their interest in good food.
The classic saying, "where there's a will there's a way" comes to mind. Foodies have the interest in food, and the modern world has provided a variety of "ways" to explore food. Television is a prime source of food information. Most households have basic cable, which allows them to view channels such as The Food Network. The Food Network is a foodies' dream come true as twenty four hours a day, it broadcasts vivid, lively, informational television shows about how to cook different types of food, exploring strange types of food, learning the history of food, and so much more. There is at least one show to appeal to any type of foodie that airs within the span of each week. Television is by no means the only cheap way to carry out foodie fantasies. The world today is fast paced and connected by the single click of a button with the Internet. Thousands of food websites from the Foodies of G5 blog to the New York Times lie within a few quick hand motions for seemingly everyone in America. This is the greatest resource for anyone-- especially foodies. There is an article, a video, or a picture for any food a foodie wishes to learn about. For those without Internet access or cable television, or just the old fashioned, there is hard printed copies. Even the most frugal foodies can save their pennies by visiting a bookstore and reading newspapers, magazines and books about food in the store. An evening reading in the bookstore coffee shop is often much more relaxing than watching a screen for a few hours.
These methods are great and cheap for learning about food, but foodies desire more than others' accounts. A foodie cannot live his food life vicariously through someone else's experiences. Actually getting the variety of good food that one desires is where the true challenge falls economically for most foodies. The most important thing to do in this situation is think creatively. For those who have trouble with their own ideas, simply consult one the many foodie resources. Not everyone can afford the to buy the finest ingredients fresh out of the farmer's market every day for their meals, so The Food Network hosts "Sandra's Money Saving Meals" twice a week. Sandra Lee shows how to make good food with primarily ready made products that most foodies are well familiar with and cheap at supermarkets across America. Giada De Laurentiis hosts "Everyday Italian" on which she cooks Italian food, often considered a fancy dine out style, with everyday ingredients in the average kitchen pantry. Many websites are committed to the low cost foodie cause. "The Cheap Gourmet" is a blog devoted to cheap producing cheap gourmet recipes and cooking utensils. Toni Patrick's "101 Things to Do with Ramen" houses exactly 101 recipes made with Ramen noodles, which can be purchased for remarkably cheap prices. This list of helpful sources for cheap food goes on and on. If you look, you will find.
What this situation boils down to is creativity. People who don't have the money to go out and buy organic foods on a regular basis can grow them in their backyards or windowsills. You could go out to Atlanta's renowned restaurant, Kyma, and spend a fortune on stuffed grape leaves, or as my mother was forced to do by her grandmother, stop on the side of the highway and pick grape leaves, then take them home and stuff them. Some argue that true foodies have to pay loads of money to be exposed to the reviews and expensive foods, but can be found anywhere from Kroger to the alleyway barbecue. Sometimes the greatest food is found at the cheapest places. The Buford Highway Farmers Market in Atlanta is in the middle of a crime ridden part of town, but it sells imported goods for the cheapest prices. Fresh lobster, crab and seafood that you can pick live from tanks, rare herbs and spices, and quirky foreign snacks all await foodies with the brains to come in. The life of a foodie is worldwide, and so are these tendencies. The best meal I have ever had was in an alleyway at the end of a fish market in Greece. We payed for food, not name or service, and got much more than our money's worth.
Being a foodie doesn't mean a love of high class dining, it means a love of food. Foodies can satisfy their thirst for new foods at a variety of places, the least of which are 5 star restaurants. One memorable episode of Guy Fieri's "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" puts Guy in the lackluster town of Baltimore, where he asks his friend, a master of cakes, where the best Baltimore food is. The friend took him to a small shoddy looking house that served the best Pit Beef in Baltimore for an undoubtedly cheap price. Each week this show portrays how the best food is found the the places least expected, most commonly cheap diners.
Some argue that true foodies have to pay loads of money to be exposed to the reviews and expensive foods, but can be found anywhere from Kroger to the alleyway rib shack.
In America, many have accepted the notion that nothing is possible without money. And in order to truly appreciate something you have to spend a lot of money on it. This couldn't be more wrong. Money is not the answer passion is. Most car enthusiasts don't drive Ferraris. Most sports enthusiast don't buy front row seats. Most foodies don't eat in high class restaurants frequently and scour over food reviews to maintain their knowledge. Being a foodie is a right independent of socioeconomic class; the love can by explored by anyone, especially in today's modern world.