Foodie

Foodie. It's kind of a strange looking word. It rolls off the tongue well enough, I suppose, but typing it out just now made me feel a little strange. In fact, I always feel a little hesitant to use the term in a self-descriptive manner. Sure, Wikipedia describes it as an "informal term for a particular class of aficionado of food and drink." Well, as informal as it may be to them, for me the term "foodie" conjures up images of people leisurely strolling through farmer's markets and specialty grocery chains, sniffing their way through the produce section to find the freshest specimen, and cooing over outrageously priced wines, cheeses, and live shellfish. Truth be told, all of these foods sound amazing (and I use the term "sound" because "taste" would be deceptive--I've not yet tried nearly as much as I would like).

As much as I love food and as often as I cook (from scratch and with natural ingredients), I just can't bring myself to call myself a foodie. Maybe I'm wrong in thinking this way, but as long as life has budget limitations, time constraints, and a 2-year-old screaming for more juice, I'll refrain from any formal or informal descriptions of my love for food.

I will, however, continue to love listening to one particularly brilliant foodie, Lynne Rossetto Kasper, the host of The Splendid Table on NPR. Every Friday, without fail, an installment of her latest radio adventure into the big, wide world of food and drink is neatly delivered into my feedburner, just waiting for me to click and enjoy. And, without fail, Lynn amazes me with her knowledge of food. I feel no pangs of regret calling her a foodie.

One thing I've noticed about her show is how she caters not just to foodies (or wannabe foodies like me). No, rather the tagline of her show tells it all. She begins every episode by saying "Welcome to the Splendid Table, the show for people who love to eat." I've also heard her say, "The show about life's appetites." What I love about these taglines is that they welcome everyone to the show. Be it a new cook in a dorm room, a grandmother who has been cooking the same recipes her whole life, an experienced chef in a five star restaurant, or someone who'd rather pop a box in the microwave, Lynne is going to have your mouth watering at some point in her hour long show. She understands that food is the great common denominator for people of all ages, cultures, and walks of life. If you please my taste buds, you please me. She gets that.

When I heard her July 4th show last week, I was once again inspired by the different segments and guests. I found the section on building a good burger particularly helpful. But what stuck in my mind well after the show was over was a caller who phoned in with a question. The man said he was helping his friend renovate an old castle in France, and they were going to open a restaurant in the dining room. He needed ideas on what to cook. [Time out--um, how AMAZING does that sound?] He asked Lynne what might be some good, fresh, seasonal dishes he could serve the guests.

I'll be honest, I thought he was going to stump Lynne. I even got a little nervous for her, thinking she might have to tell him she didn't know that particular region of France well nor what kinds of food would be local and seasonal. But, like the consummate foodie that she is, she dreamed up a dish so surprising and mouthwatering yet supremely simple. Her impromptu recipe included shaved cheese with fresh French cherries on top, a drizzle of walnut oil, and a huge hunk of french bread on the side. I'm not sure why I ever doubted her.

When I found myself needing a little snack yesterday, it hit me as I stared blankly into the fridge: I've got enough to make an adapted version of the cherries and cheese dish, or the "castle man's" dish. Straight away I shaved some cheddar on a plate, pitted and sliced some Bing cherries and placed them on top in a rustic manner, drizzled a little olive oil over the whole thing, and served it up with some Holland Rusk toast.

People, I won't beat around the bush on this one. Not only was this dish a beauty to look at, with the contrasting scarlet/plum and amber colors, but it was a thing of beauty in the mouth as well. The sharp and salty bite of the cheddar complimented the deep, sweet, winey flavor of the cherries beautifully. A little earthy flavor from the olive oil rounded out the whole dish and provided just the right warmth in my mouth to satisfy, much like a cozy blanket.

So the next time you find yourself in the company of cherries, cheese, oil, and bread (be they French or domestic), whip up this little dish. You'll thank me. Were I not sneezing, sick, and surrounded by the aforementioned screaming toddler, I might just have felt like a foodie while eating this, if even for 3 minutes, which, coincidentally, was just enough time to scarf it down, correct my daughter for her impatience, and refill that blasted cup of juice.