While I was working as a script doctor in Los Angeles, I have to say the most challenging job I had was revising a pilot for a series about Foodies.  At the time, I had no idea what a Foodie was, and after much research, I still don’t really understand them.  Or, maybe I don’t really care to.  We’ll see.

To cite Nicole Westons definition, “gourmets are epicures of refined taste who may or may not be professionals in the food industry, whereas foodies are amateurs who simply love food for consumption, study, preparation, and news.”  I can tell you now that after all the re-writes I went through to try to nail these characters in the script, I would simply call them all obsessive.

I mean, to each his own.  I love food.  I love eating it.  I love cooking it.  But, I definitely wouldn’t call myself a foodie. One of the producers of the script gave me a note on one of the characters saying that she “loved to smell her dogs breath all day because it smelled like Cheetos, and it gave her ideas for what to cook for dinner.”  I know it sounds like these people could be entertaining to watch, and maybe they are – just not on TV.

It seems if people are this obsessed with food, they would go ahead and make to leap to professional.  But, I suppose we are all guilty of being know-it-alls without really being know-it-alls.   Perhaps being called a foodie is kind of aback-handed compliment of sorts.  So, to all your foodies – take the leap why dontcha?  If you can’t take the heat, get outta the kitchen.

If you listen to all the retail stores, news outlets and anybody else that is hollering for you to buy, the time to shop is always now! There is always a sale just finished, just started or going to start in a day or two. That’s because retailers are hurting and while that is not very good for them it is a good thing for you. So before the economy picks up and prices start to rise, it is a good time to shop if you have the resources. It’s never a good time to shop if you don’t have money.

The other thing people are afraid to do is barter with the store. Find a manager and make him an offer. The worst he can say is no and so you loose nothing by asking and have to possibility to get a better deal. This works when retailers are looking to sell you things they can’t seem to get rid of. No retailer want to hold inventory for very long as this creates a large problem as seasons change and new merchandise arrives. Offer to take it off his or her hands at a reduced price and see what happens.

I have just got to share his quick and easy fresh recipe with you. Our spinach is coming up really well right now, and I was looking for a way to eat them that was not really a salad, but wasn’t exactly cooked, either. So a friend suggested that I try “wilting” it. Here’s what you do:

Take a BUNCH of fresh washed and dried spinach. keep it ready to go, because everything happens really quick.

In a large soup pot over medium heat, heat up some butter and olive oil, about 2 Tablespoons of each. Mince up a clove of fresh garlic and toss it in. Stir and immediately take the pan off the heat. Throw in your spinach, add a dash of salt and some fresh ground pepper, and toss your spinach just until everything is coated.

The spinach is wilted, not completely cooked, and it still has the pleasant texture; of fresh, but is warm and loaded with lots of additional flavor! Go ahead and plate it up, and squeeze fesh lemon juice over it at the table. Yum!