Foodie Snob?

Me?

Well...maybe just a tiny bit. I guess I exhibit some of the more common tell-tale signs...

1. At restaurants, I sometimes ask questions about the food/ingredients/preparation. Among other things, I often want to know...
- Is this wild salmon King salmon?
- Is this garlic butter sauce extremely buttery and heavy?
- Hmm...what's exactly in this sauce? Oh hmm...can I get it without the...umm...actually, I'll just get it on the side.

2. I don't think twice about buying slightly more expensive ingredients.
-$20 vanilla extract, San Marzano tomatoes, Parmigiano Reggiano (not Parmesan), fancy sea salts and the occasional organic produce and natural meats.

3. I'm obsessed with all things homemade or made by hand.
- I get really excited when I see handmade pasta/noodles/ice cream/gelato/artisnal cheese/anything handmade on any menu.

And of course, the list could go on, but I think this is sufficient.

So yes, I am a foodie snob. But, that doesn't mean I don't like the simpler things in life, like hot fudge sundaes or fried apple pies at McDonalds. I don't exclusively eat things that have to be pronounced in my work-in-progress Italian accent or require a sprinkling of fancy French sea salt. In fact, some of my very favorite foods that are near and dear to my tummy are the ones my mom makes. And we all know what a culinary genius she is decidely not (she once advised me to use olive oil in brownie mix! And I listened to her!) ...but she can do some pretty impressive and creative things with a crock pot.

So! I will be incorporating my local Hawaiian food back into my diet. Plantation food, some would say. Five ingredients or less. Like beef stew, miso pork, chop steak, hamburger string beans, fried rice, pork and beans and anything with spam or portugese sausage or vienna sausage.

But I'm still going to use my fancy vanilla extract...and make my own marinara sauce.