Foodie is all right to describe someone who has a shallow understanding and interest in food--think of someone who is excited primarily by trends rather than the complex cultural and production implications and history of food. That said, a catch-all title is hard to nail down. I have used food scholar or food enthusiast to describe myself to others when asked. I’ve never thought of myself as a foodie.

philip seymour hoffman is a shoe in

Philip Seymour Hoffman would be my first choice to play him in a movie.

Rice and beans is a nutritionally sound dish- a complex carbohydrate. I love Ayers Creek and Rancho Gordo dried beans! We love black-eye peas and mung beans dal. Last night I made a aromatic black-eye pea curry over basmati rice. A weekly dish in our house is from Madhur Jaffray’s World Vegetarian: Black eye peas with chard, lemon and olive oil over rice coated with the seasoned oil from browned onion, garlic and chili flakes.

I agree with all of your points, and like you, I try to live by a heirarchy of values when it comes to food purchase and consumption. I also used to demonize Horizon for their big dairy crimes, that is, until I met some dairy farmers (all small scale operations) who are completely happy producing organic milk for Horizon Organics.

The thing I learned after speaking with the farmers (from Vermont, Wisconsin, Michigan) is that they all own their own land, most have no more than 50 head of dairy cows, were organic long before USDA put a seal on it, AND THE KICKER- for them, Horizon has always paid them better and has been more loyal to these families than other dairies mainly COOP could offer them. To them, Horizon consistently paid them a fare price for their milk so they could maintain quality standards at the micro-level. There weren’t unreasonable production quotas to meet. Their families stayed on the farm- made a living, and feel a deep sense of pride in their work. So perhaps we all could use a reality check. It’s easy to jump on the name- calling bandwagon, but just as we do, we might be hurting the very farms we want to support. Yes, Horizon Organics has been in trouble procuring milk from a big dairy farm that didn’t meet standards, yes it distributes organic milk all over the country. But if we are simply talking about organic quality-the truth is more grey than black and white.

I like fried eggs with lace. This is what my mom called them...and apparently my grandma before her. Scoop leftover bacon grease into a cast iron skillet and heat until hot, but not smoking. Crack an egg directly into the hot fat. With a spatula turned downward, gently wick hot oil over the top of the egg until a white film forms over the yolk while the whites become crispy lace. Don’t overcook the yolk. Remove egg with spatula onto a piece of toast. Sprinkle with salt and cracked pepper. No butter necessary.