Too Soon? Naaaaaah.

Food Snob #3: Comfort

We food snobs enjoy a mélange of “fancy” food whenever we can. It ranges from varieties of oysters to duck confit or perhaps an amuse bouche of cucumber mousse over an heirloom tomato puree. Rich, fresh and flavorful, dishes such as these awaken the senses and make the palate sing. But after a weekend of dining out and tasting local chefs' culinary whims (or our own), we often go right back to basics with comfort food. Every culture has their favorites, each dish a twist on something basic: corned beef and cabbage, chicken adobo, potato pierogies, fresh rice with Spam and eggs. These dishes are equally important in the quest for that perfect bite. Like the delicate flavors of a finely crafted entrée, dining is all about balance.

Delete, Redux

More words and phrases that need to be struck from use immediately.

1. Where you at?
2. Oh, snap
   
3. Blamestorming
4. Fist bump
5. "these economic times"
6. Ron Paul
7. Tramp stamp
8. Strategize
   
9. Fox News
   
10. Sarah Palin

Food Snob #2: Dinner Decorum

Part of being a healthy food snob is decorum: the white tablecloth, the heavy silverware, the white china plates. Somehow, it makes your meal taste even better. But in “these times of economic hardship” -- or as I like to call it, “The Suckage” – going out for a meal in that kind of proper environment can easily set you back a minimum of $75 for two. And it’s unheard of to make that kind of space for dining when you’re chowing down at work in a cubicle, eating last night’s leftovers. The solution? Head to your local small housewares shop or BB&B and pick up silverware singles for $1.49 to $3 apiece and a nice plate or bowl. You can even find some inexpensive cloth napkins. It will add affordable flavor to your leftover roast and add a taste of civilization to an often uncivilized work day.

Food Snob #1: Food or Fuel

Philosophers have called death the great equalizer. Nope: it’s food. As my grandmother in Jersey used to say, “Ya gotta eat”, and she was right. Americans spend around $2,500 a year on out-of-home food, meaning that we are either a society of culinary adventurers or just plain too lazy to cook. Hopefully, you end up somewhere in the middle. The fact remains that we all face the biological imperative to eat, often relying on our taste buds to guide us to our next main course. But the eternal question remains: Food or Fuel? That question can be broken down even further to a more eloquent and important question: Dining or Eating? Whether you’re cooking a great meal at home or trying that cool new brasserie down the street, always opt for dining: it is the enjoyment of each bite. Eating for fuel is like sitting behind a concrete post in a movie theater: you get the general essence, but you never really enjoy it as much as you could.