Confessions of a reluctant foodie

Confessions of a reluctant foodie | Group Tour Magazine Blog

MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2012

	Photo: Amanda Black Fresh produce waits for a buyer at the Old Town Manassas Farmers Market in Virginia.

Confessions of a reluctant foodie

Cool is not my middle name.

I don’t understand steampunk, and most popular music sounds like noise to me.

But somehow, I’ve joined the hipster crowd.

It wasn’t the new pair of glasses I just ordered or the amount of time I spend watching the Nerdist Channel on YouTube.

It’s this fact. I’m a foodie.

There, I said it. I’m a foodie.

Foodie. Gourmet. Epicure. Picky eater. Worried about sustainability. A cook. A member of a food co-op. Frequent visitor to the farmer’s market. A person who drives through the country with dollar bills in my pocket so I can buy the freshest produce.

This is not the place I expected to end up, but I’m very happy here. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time, and I can think of several reasons why I’m a foodie — and why you should be too.

Please hear me out. I don’t mean to sound pretentious. 

1). Real food tastes better. Strawberries in season have this juiciness that just can’t be duplicated. They’re worth the wait, and I miss them when they’re gone.

2). Processed food is packed with chemicals and other weird stuff. I’m not saying that I never buy anything in a box or a can, but if I can buy fresh, I will.

3). Sodium is everywhere. When you eat fresh food, chances are good it won’t be stuffed with extra salt. It tastes good, but there are ways to get flavor that won’t make you sick in the long run.

4). It’s fun. I’m going to step off my soapbox now and tell you it’s simply fun to make good meals out of real food. Some yellow carrots or yellow tomatoes can turn the same old side dish or sauce into something really neat.

5). It engenders community. It’s a joy to shop local and chat with farmers. Stoll through a farmer’s market, and you’ll see nothing but smiles and happy people to go along with all of that fresh food. The trip I made to the Old Town Manassas Farmers Market in Virginia was a delight and I'm still thinking about it after all this time has passed. It was a wonderful way to begin a morning far away from home. 

6). Culinary travel is rising. The truth is, everyone has to eat, and there’s probably never been a group tour without a good meal or two.

	Photo: Kim Fenolio The author proves that fresh food can be a lot of fun!

But now, people are wrapping entire tours around top culinary activities like cooking schools, wine tastings, farm-to-table meals and progressive dinners.

We at Group Tour Magazine think that culinary tours have real staying power. 

The cover story for our latest issue, “Fusion Food” looks at the culinary scene in the West, how it’s grown up from its cowboy days.

I had a blast writing the article, and I’m sure people who take time to sample western cuisines do too.

We also have an entire website dedicated to all things group culinary travel. It’s called www.grouptourculinary.com.

I encourage you to check them out, and get in touch with me. Tell me about your favorite culinary tour stops and your favorite fresh food.

Send me a tweet, @amandagrouptour, or visit us on Facebook and post on our wall.

Amanda Black has spent the last 10 years with Group Tour Magazine uncovering the best attractions and tours for groups. She lives in Holland, Mich., with a lovely view of a meadow and duck pond. Amanda is big fan of fresh food and TV dramas as well as all things cute.