Is Anyone Else A Foodie?

There's only one thing I love more than fashion, and that's food. The holidays are evidence that I'm not alone. From home baked cookies and pies to gifts of almond brittle and gingerbread, people love their food. Many people don't love to cook, though. I, however, seem to be in the minority. My mother's kitchen was always filled with fantastic smells. I never knew what culinary adventures awaited me when I walked through the door. Some of the ideas were fantastic, such as the home-made cheese ball made with several types of high quality cheese. Some ideas weren't; the deviled eggs with truffle oil will forever go down in history (with my dear friend John and myself) as the only bad thing to come out of the Romano kitchen.

While I may not be that inventive, I certainly do enjoy the process (and result) of cooking. I appreciate the food channel (maybe too much) simply because you get such incredible ideas from watching professionals. I recently took a cooking class. I will admit that I felt I had a leg up on some of my other classmates. I know how to simmer. I know how to chop. I was also surprised that the instructor was appalled that I apparently chopped oregano the wrong way. Honestly, it hadn't occurred to me to pluck each tender leaf off of the stem and then chop it. I was embarrassed by my ignorance and went back to watching the food channel where I could maintain the embarrassment to the privacy of my own home.

Comfort food has always been big with me. I love a good stew or a savory goulash. After suddenly craving cassoulet, I made a pot of it for my good friend Robert. The easy to make stew is made with chunks of chicken, sausage, white beans, stewed tomatoes, all percolating with chicken stock. We practically licked our plates when we were through.

As a self proclaimed "foodie", I must tell you all about a fantastic shop that a friend introduced to me. The Naples Gourmet Grocer is Located on 2nd Street in Naples (in the same center as the Rite Aid). I purchased some organic French lentils for a soup. It was beyond incredible; a product of using high quality products to start with. You'll find nestled in this quaint shop things like tomato paste in a tube (which is utter genius - you can use just at tad and put the resealable tube in the fridge rather throwing away the remainder of a can) and fig/almond paste to accompany brie. In addition to grocery items they also have gourmet sandwiches such as ham and brie on pretzel bread. If you need a gift for someone, they have a fantastic chocolate section filled with wonderful ideas for the chocolate lover.

You can find Naples Gourmet Grocer at 5650 E 2nd Street in Naples. Check out their web site for detailed directions. http://naplesgourmetgrocer.com/