You know you're a foodie when...

[Chris Cognac]

OK, I was wondering what exactly are the "signs" that one is a foodie?

When you plan your vacation around places to eat, and not things to see!

You get "excited" when you discover that the beat up little market on the bad side of town sells handmade empanada's....no longer are you scared to drive to that part of town.

When all your friends call you to decide where they want to eat.

[Jinmyo]

I suppose I'm not as that term creeps me out.

[Wendy DeBord]

When your happiest spending all your extra money on culinary items, from equipment to books and ingredients.

When you go to the mall and the first place and your longest stop is in a kitchen store.

When you visit the book store once a week and they don't have any books or magazines that you don't already own on the topic of baking.

When you take a culinary book to read in the bathroom because you can't set it down and walk away for 2 minutes.

When all your shoes are Danskos or Burki's that you wear to work.

[babka]

when you refuse to let anyone else make the scrambled eggs in the morning. you can't cook 'em if you don't understand 'em.

[Maison Rustique]

when you refuse to let anyone else make the scrambled eggs in the morning. you can't cook 'em if you don't understand 'em.

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LOL! For the first time in many years we didn't go "home" to Kansas City for Christmas and they really missed my eggs. My family always does a huge breakfast and I'm the one that makes the scrambled eggs because I make them come out all creamy and nice instead of yucky and watery. Oh! I also do the bacon or it comes out raw in places and burned in others. Low heat and patience is what it takes more than anything for both.

[andiesenji]

You definitely know you are when you run into one of the people who works at one of the "ethnic" markets in town and they greet you by name.

[jgm]

When your spouse accuses you of reading cookbooks like novels, and not only do you not deny it, you have a little of that deer-in-the-headlights look, because you don't understand why anyone would do it differently.

When your co-workers greet you on Monday morning with, "Well, what did you cook this weekend?" and then behind your back, they whisper, "Do you believe it? She really eats that!"

When you get every answer right in the food categories on Jeopardy.

When your friends call you, convinced that you will have the authoritative answer on the right way to make tuna casserole, and then they get angry when you tell them there is no right way, and yes you can use Cream of Celery soup instead of Cream of Mushroom soup without worrying about doing any lasting damage to the universe. And then they ask you how you make it, and you tell them you do it from scratch, and don't use canned cream soup. And then they say, "oh my gawd" and hang up on you without saying goodbye.

When your mother calls you for cooking advice.

[pam claughton]

When someone asks for directions, and yours are based on restaurants, take a right at Olives, a left at Masa, and it's just around the corner from this phenomenal little bistro, Craigie Street, have you been there?

Yep, that's a sure sign.

:) Pam

[shelora]

When your friends can't believe you came back from Mexico with 10 kilos of sea salt.

Man, it is so good.

[irodguy]

When friends opening new restaurants call you to be there pre-opening taste tester.

[ladyyoung98]

when you have a huge collection of books and only one or two are NOT cookbooks

[irodguy]

When you rush home to see if your new knives arrived via Fedex.

[KatieLoeb]

When your friends can't believe you came back from Mexico with 10 kilos of sea salt.

Man, it is so good.

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Basically when any trip to a new place requires a suitcase full of edible souveniers brought home of whatever the local delicacies/specialties are.

I've come home with at least a case of wine, a bottle of Absinthe (just because I could and the idea of smuggling it in seemed so dangerous), jars of every flavor marmalade/preserve on earth, cans of foie gras pate, mild and hot paprika, chocolates, schnapps, chestnut paste, oils, vinegars, etc, etc.

[twitch]But I'm really quite normal[twitch]...for a foodie

[purplewiz]

When you plan your vacation around places to eat, and not things to see!

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And when your vacation reports are all about the meals you ate, and "oh, yeah, we hiked some/saw some important monuments/visited some people".

When you keep a written list of restaurants you want to try because you keep forgetting them.

The trip home from any restaurant involves a full dissection of the meal, including ingredients used, what was better or worse than the last trip, what could be made at home, and what you're going to eat next time.

When grocery shopping isn't a chore, it's one of the highlights of the week.

When your husband asks you to please STOP talking about food because he's full and it's making his stomach hurt.

Marcia.

[RETREVR]

When you buy a santuko and know how to spell it. You drizzle olive oil over everything and refer to it as EVOO. You call things confit that aren't really. You call sauted greens braised. You refer to the fruit you are eating by the latin name. You consider cheese to be dessert. You use French words to describe mundane food.

[oneidaone]

When friends opening new restaurants call you to be there pre-opening taste tester.

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O.K., I don't really like the term "foodie" but this one got to me. I totally agree with this one!!!!!

Having been on both sides of the fence on this issue it is definately better to be on the INVITED

side than the side where everyone is checking you out. I was on the checking out side for Alan

Wong in another lifetime and it was both fun and somewhat unnerving. So when I was invited to

a mock dinner with my family when Roy's opened at Ko Olina we were kind, patient and also

positive in our correction (cheers to them, hardly any was needed!!!!!! )

For us we plan our vacations/days around what we can eat and who can we meet to learn about

their craft. Farmer's market day here is treasured to see what's happening, how our lousy windy

weather is affecting crops, etc. For me my 3 times a week Pilates Reformer class finds me thinking about what I am going to cook later or go out for...........I am wacko enough that when

my beloved old Dansko's finally gave out, still possessing little teeth marks from my now departed beloved basnbull Maggie they've been placed above the kitchen atop the cabinets in a

place of honor to celebrate the countless hours I wore them on the job and cooked with her at

my side here at home and at our former home a couple blocks away. BTW I just got some vanilla bean, extract, coffee, tea and lotion from the ONLY vanilla producer in the USA, Hawaiian Vanilla

Company. Met the farmer/owner Jim Reddekop at our farmer's market yesterday, a testament to

the dedicatin we have to support our farmers here in HI. That for me is a good definition of "foodie" to support as much as possible and eat as much possible of local food from those who

dedicate their lives to it. A hui ho............ Oh- YAHOO!!!!!!! I feel so competent - I actually was able to use the quote feature......a big deal to me who is very un-technical!!!!!!

[Behemoth]

when you  have  a  huge  collection of  books  and only one  or two are NOT cookbooks

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Yikes, I hope not.

[BigScoob]

When you rush home to see if your new knives arrived via Fedex.

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Hang on... I know they arrived because I check FedEx.com every 10 minutes for an update...

[Darcie B]

You volunteer to make your own birthday dinner and cake.

When you travel, you take your knives and other kitchen equipment with you.

[Edited to clear up stupidity...]

Edited January 24, 2005 by Darcie B (log)

[AzRaeL]

You'd drive 90mins to the next city and get there before 10am just because they have the best DimSum.

You can name off Celebrity Chef, what's in their kit, and which restaurants they're from like most guys follow ESPN atheletes.

You jump up and down on your seat during Iron Chef.

When you go to a friend's place to help prepare a meal, you bring your own knives, skillet, olive oil.

It actually costs more to cook at home than go to a mid-range restaurant.

[markabauman]

When eGullet.org is the main bookmark on your web browser.

[AzRaeL]

  You use French words to describe mundane food.

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Hahah i refered to the Abalone as Omer and the Eggplant as Aubergine.

I refered to the Cheese section as the Fromagerie too *LOL*

Oh..the Deli was full of Charcuterie and the butcher gave me a funny look when i asked for saucisson.

[jgarner53]

I'm the one that makes the scrambled eggs because I make them come out all creamy and nice instead of yucky and watery...Low heat and patience is what it takes more than anything for both.

Funny. I get the pan pretty hot and cook 'em quick. Fluffy, creamy eggs every time, and they don't stick. My sister-in-law leaves browned egg on the pan.

At Thanksgiving, I took my cast iron skillet, flan rings, ingredients, and rolling pin down to my mom's to make dessert easier for me.

[Holly Moore]

When someone calls you a "foodie" and you don't punch them in the nose.

[s'kat]

You find yourself discussing ideas on that night's dinner, over morning coffee with your 'foodie' spouse.