on cooking
From Michael Ruhlman:
"I must here make a distinction that surely will be debated. Since we are unlikely ever to get rid of the unfortunate term “foodie,” I would be grateful if we could separate people who like to cook from foodies. I have nothing against foodies, I hope it's clear. But we should recognize that they are a distinct species, and some people are both foodie and cook. Foodies are the first to hit the newest restaurant, or to plan a trip based on restaurant destinations; they’re are the first to order the coolest new ingredient and make sure you know it. Foodies love to talk about food and cooking. Foodies watch food television with their pants around their ankles and buy The French Laundry Cookbook for the pictures. Foodie is a social distinction, not a judgment. Cooks, on the other hand, cook; they like to cook, they enjoy the work and like feeding others and take pride in various successes in the kitchen, whether it’s their first mayonnaise or a Rachael Ray recipe, and they are not daunted by failure. (There is a third species, someone who does not like to cook, but loves to eat. This is called being human.)"
This makes a distinction to me that I've always felt but could not describe. I am a cook, not a foodie. I like to talk about food, sure, but I don't watch food television, I strongly limit the number of cookbooks I have, I hardly ever hit the new restaurant first (mostly because I rarely eat out anymore), I rarely bother with the 'new' ingredient, etc. Sure I like trying a new food combination and talking about the jam I made last weekend, but it all really comes down to this: I just like cooking for people.
"I must here make a distinction that surely will be debated. Since we are unlikely ever to get rid of the unfortunate term “foodie,” I would be grateful if we could separate people who like to cook from foodies. I have nothing against foodies, I hope it's clear. But we should recognize that they are a distinct species, and some people are both foodie and cook. Foodies are the first to hit the newest restaurant, or to plan a trip based on restaurant destinations; they’re are the first to order the coolest new ingredient and make sure you know it. Foodies love to talk about food and cooking. Foodies watch food television with their pants around their ankles and buy The French Laundry Cookbook for the pictures. Foodie is a social distinction, not a judgment. Cooks, on the other hand, cook; they like to cook, they enjoy the work and like feeding others and take pride in various successes in the kitchen, whether it’s their first mayonnaise or a Rachael Ray recipe, and they are not daunted by failure. (There is a third species, someone who does not like to cook, but loves to eat. This is called being human.)"
This makes a distinction to me that I've always felt but could not describe. I am a cook, not a foodie. I like to talk about food, sure, but I don't watch food television, I strongly limit the number of cookbooks I have, I hardly ever hit the new restaurant first (mostly because I rarely eat out anymore), I rarely bother with the 'new' ingredient, etc. Sure I like trying a new food combination and talking about the jam I made last weekend, but it all really comes down to this: I just like cooking for people.