about
I have been a “foodie” to one degree or another ever since reading Frances Moore Lappe’s “Diet for a Small Planet”. I must qualify my use of the term “foodie”. I am enthusiastic - not maniacal. I have tried vegan, but c'mon - soy cheese? Really? Not on my pizzas! I try to buy local, but if you have allergies living in Illinois, eating local can aggravate cross allergens and send you running for your inhaler. I have an enormous sweet tooth and I tend to inhale Cheetos if they're brought into the house. That alone probably knocks me out the ranks of true “foodies”.
There is little, in my opinion however, that compares with the sight and smell of fresh produce on my butcher block. I am the cook of the family, thus I am the grocery shopper. As I unbag the food and set it out, my thoughts of what dishes I might prepare are very often cut short by the sheer beauty of light falling across onions, garlic or eggplant and I find myself running for my paints rather than my cooking utensils. It’s an interesting and sometimes frustrating predicament where one passion informs another in such a circular manner.