vox

Aspirin please. The other problem I've got here is that you don't seem to have said anything without resorting to comfortably held assumptions of your own. And some of it's just confusing. ← okay, so you're disregarding what i've said because YOU don't understand it? and then accusing me of "intellectualism for intellectualism's sake"???? it's so typical for people to fear what they don't understand/haven't learned/been exposed to. what a reductionist perspective. at the very least, instead of clamping down out of ignorance and ego, why don't you try to read some bourdieu? instead of relying on second-hand information? other than that, what do you ACTUALLY have to say about my points? the true test of an intellectual is someone who doesn't fear what they don't know.

i think the issue here is one of discourse and ideology. the rhetoric of slow food has elements of a neo-colonialist pastoralism that i don't think can be denied. look at the writing in "gourmet" or "saveur", where the ACTUAL socio-economic conditions of the far-flung places the well-to-do writers and their (vicarious) readers travel to for the "local" food is romanticised for the consumption of a global (northern) elite. as if the small, peasant, artisinal woman in a small town in italy desires to be poor (ooops...i mean "rustic") and doesn't want the same access to capitalism that we all on this board luxuriate in. it's got nothing to do with "small family farms". jamon iberico is NOT available in most-non urbanized western settings. it takes extraordinarly (petro-based) resources to produce these "local" specialities and then go about selling them to the privileged. pierre bourdieu has written extensively on how taste is a mark of distinction.

do people think there are certain class dimensions to being a foodie? do you have to occupy a certain socio-economic bracket? be living in an urban centre? can someone who only eats at fast food chains be considered a foodie?

i don't necessarily consider wikipedia to be an authoritative source on etymology! why "food enthusiast" and not foodie? does foodie seem elitist?

inspired by a conversation on another forum, what do people think of the term foodie? it appears to be pretty divisive (jeff leal's comments a while back regarding the difference between foodies and chowhounds). a) how do we define a foodie against a non-foodie/chowhound, etc? b) do you self identify as a foodie? why or why not?

here's another one. anyone know of anyplace in the downtown core that sells paneer? i've tried alex farms on the danforth...no luck. little india is a little out of my way, i'd prefer to find something on the way to work (td tower, bay and wellington). kensington? the market? whole foods? yes, i've made my own, but i need something with a little firmer texture than what i can manage at home (given time/fridge space constraints) thanks!

for a business, "impress"/"expense account" lunch, you can do no better than canoe. the emphasis on canadian ingredients, plus the room and the view make it a must for people visiting from out of town.

anyone know where to find harissa? please and thanks!

i'm having pouding chomeur with vanilla ice cream. perfect for a wintry canadian evening.

thank you! keep the suggestions coming! i guess i'd be willing to stretch the budget up to 40 euros, not including wine... i'm a cook so i'm really interested in food across the spectrum, classic and contemporary that captures the spirit of belgium, i guess...

so far we're looking at one night at ramseys (if we can get in! *fingers crossed*), one night at st. john's, one night at new tayyab, and one night at either anchor and hope, the peasant, or drapers.

thanks so much! last question, are reservations recommended for gastropubs in general?

are reservations necessary at most places?

also, what's the difference between teh michelin red guide and the green guide? is the red guide simply the french version?

care to turn this thread into a suggestions thread? as noted, i'm a chef de partie at a fine dining restaurant in toronto, and thus, not left with a lot of time to be surfing the net and cross referencing suggestions. also, i'm on a fairly limited budget...i'm looking for great, iconic meals at around 30-50 euros/person. help please!