“You’re such a foodie.”

Why I Prefer FoodIST, Not FoodIE

Those words make me cringe. Truly. If you’re a friend, you’re going to feel my wrath. If you’re not my friend, you’ll probably see my eyes roll, my back shudder, and then watch as I walk away.

Most people haven’t even heard of the word “foodist.” I’m unsure if I heard it somewhere, or simply made it up. When I think of a “foodie,” I think of images of someone at a buffet, jumping the queue and pushing aside little kids so they can scoop the last ten pieces of bacon for themself.

I think of people diving into an oversized filled donut, taking too large a bite, and basically having whipped cream oozing from the corners of their mouth (and nostrils?), crumbs falling onto their chest. I think of people who live to eat, not eat to live.

Don’t get me wrong, I do love food. Very much so. But I truly believe that as an amateur chef, I appreciate food.

I watch food shows. I spend huge amounts of time thinking about what I’m going to cook, how I’m going to cook it, prepping food, and cooking food. I dry age my own meat. I cure and smoke all kinds of food, from cheese to beef, and from salmon to brisket. I hand-grind and stuff my own sausage. I even forage my own wild mushrooms—one season I harvested over 125 lbs of morels, a true delicacy.

To me, the investment of time and effort into creating something delicious is worth every second.

My Theory Of Being A Foodie

Here’s my theory: anybody can be a foodie. Anybody! What qualifies you to be a foodie? You love food. Period. If you very much like eating, you’re in the club.

I take cooking far more seriously, perhaps more so than I should. I think about it a lot. Sometimes I dream about it, or perhaps I am actually in that half-conscious state and I’m planning my next meal.

I think about food combinations, wine pairings, creative uses of unusual ingredients, and what different kinds of sauces might take food to the next level. I’ve spent hours making lobster stock in order to make a surreal fresh lobster and asparagus risotto—don’t forget the truffle oil and aged shaved parmesan!

And why do I do this? Because I’m a foodIST, not a foodIE.

Taking Food Seriously

Much in the same way as a biologIST is involved in the science of biology, and an artIST is involved in the arts somehow, I treat food in the same way. I wouldn’t call myself a scientist of food, or anything similar; however, I do take it very seriously, and I do treat it as a form of art.

To me, that is the difference. For me, cooking is as much of a passion as eating, perhaps even more. Cooking relaxes me and puts me in “my happy spot.” Put the tunes on. Maybe crack open a bottle of wine—gotta taste it, right? Perhaps it won’t pair well?

I am a foodist. I guess one can also be a foodIE AND be a foodIST, but not all foodIES are foodISTS.

Rant over LOL.

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I look forward to sharing this journey with you. Let’s connect on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram; or my newsletter here.

Those Who Would Be King: The People’s Prince is available to order now on Amazon! More options to come.