Are you a foodie?

Would you get more pleasure from eating 2 ounces of the finest chocolate rather than downing a bag of Hershey’s Kisses?

Foodies seek out the unusual, the trendy, the unique. It’s the difference between eating to live and eating to savor the experience.

Foodies are people who care about food. They care about where and how it is grown, the preparation, the presentation — the whole experience. They scour local restaurants and farmers markets for the perfect meal or produce.

Most times you’ll even find them in the garden and kitchen growing and cooking their own meals. You’ll see them in the aisles of specialty food and kitchen appliance stores waiting for the next best thing to arrive so they can run home to try out a new recipe or a new ingredient.

“A foodie is a person who plans their vacations and their lives around what they’re going to eat next,” according to Tawny Duckworth, 31, of Fort Collins and a self-professed foodie and specialty food buyer for Whole Foods in Fort Collins. “You’d be scared of going to a destination where there might not be good food.”
Foodies research and plan food-tasting trips around the world.

Jan Findlater, 50, of Fort Collins is in Europe visiting many of the fabulous markets she can find in London, Paris, Barcelona and Seville. For Findlater, a Whole Foods Salud class planner and bona fide foodie, it’s about looking for regional, homemade and interesting foods.

“For me, it’s not eating at five-star restaurants, or venturing into the restaurant that everyone is writing about. It’s about finding the best oils, local bakers, cheesemakers, wineries... I’m not the type of person that enjoys sitting in a fancy restaurant. That’s not me.”

The same is true for Linda Hoffman.

“I don’t eat out much,” said Hoffman, a graduate of the Professional Cooking School of the Rockies, personal chef and master gardener. “Food is very sensual and when it provides that experience, it’s a wonderful time.

Duckworth, on the other hand, enjoys a good restaurant. She admits to researching where she goes to ensure a tasty experience.

She takes the same care when cooking at home.

“I always try to mix it up and try what’s new and not rely on stand-bys very often,” Duckworth said.

An inquiring mind is almost as important as an inquiring belly for a foodie.
“I’m a curious person, and I’m always learning,” said Chris Morgan. Morgan prepares meat at Whole Foods and is a part-time pizza maker Positanos Pizzeria, 3645 S. College Ave. “I’ve got a huge knowledge base.”

Because of that, Morgan doesn’t care if people call him a food Nazi or a snob, and he’d rather not cook for you if you don’t trust his experience as a cook. “I don’t eat out very much. After cooking for many years, I am at least as good as the cook (in the restaurant kitchen) or better.”

So, to become a certified foodie, you ultimately have to educate your palate so you can treasure the real flavors and textures of food.

Morgan added, “It’s an education that opens your eyes and your taste buds.”


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This is an old recipe, born out of poverty, but classic in Southern Italy.
It can be made vegetarian, but has a deeper flavor if made with pancetta.
Dark, leafy greens cooked with beans, it is light yet hearty. Boun Appetito!

Scarola e Fagioli
(Escarole and Beans)

One head of escarole, washed and roughly chopped
Two ounces extra virgin olive oil
3-4 cloves of garlic, smashed
One ounce pancetta, in one cm. cubes, (optional)
One tomato, cubed
One can of canellini beans
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Salt and pepper to taste


Sauté pancetta in oil, until browned, then add garlic, sauté until browned.
Arrest the cooking of the garlic with the wet escarole and stir.
Cover and steam until escarole has wilted significantly.
Add tomato and beans, cook at a gentle simmer for five minutes.
Add water or white wine if it becomes too thick.
Add Parmigiano cheese, stir and serve in a bowl over croutons.
It should have a thick soup consistency.