As a lover of good meals, being a foodie means having a rich preference for food, not just as a necessity but as a source of pleasure and exploration. My enthusiasm and curiosity in exploring cuisines, flavors, and dishes, and valuing the sensory experience of eating knows no limitations. I do not want to be a professional public chef but I want to be my chef just in my kitchen, exploring new ideas, trying new recipes, and shaping my meals to my taste.
The term "foodie" doesn't necessarily imply being a baddie connoisseur or some sort of Glutton. It's more about a genuine love for food in all its forms, from street food to fine dining. It's about how one cooks with great personal hygiene, how meals are explored, the taste, the decor, and the varieties.
In essence, being a foodie is about nurturing a festive and adventurous connection with food, embracing the multiplicity of tastes and textures that the culinary world has to offer. Whether it's finding a great spot in a local neighborhood or trying out exotic ingredients in the kitchen, the foodie lifestyle revolves around the satisfaction of eating and having a part of that joy with others.
Even with my high preference for exquisite meals this also applies to my cheapest foods, even with the current state of the economy I still don't reduce my standards of how I eat. I'm not saying that I will be stuck with the luxurious food I often eat but instead of having a low-quality meal, I spice it up with veggies and so forth that have good nutritional value for my health.
Most times, what I consume is long-term for the benefit of my health! I always have that on my mental note! I don't joke with great meals! Every meal be it the cheapest of them all or the most expensive of them all must contain a good quantity of nutritional content.
In my affairs of food, I do not negotiate the quality of it nor the nutritional value it contains. Both must contain it! If I have to stoop to the cheapest food then lots of fruits and veggies in different varieties will be involved.
The situation of this country right now with the rate at which the cost of living is escalating every day makes food treasured! If you go to a friend's place and you are served rice and tomato sauce, the receiver should be extremely grateful to see such an exquisite meal! Because a cup of rice is almost a dollar! Even cheapest food is expensive! I grade meals by their nutritional contents not actually by their worth. I have seen a low-budget meal having more nutritional content than an expensive luxurious meal.
In the third quarter of this year, I went on a business trip to Abuja to represent my company in closing a deal. The prospect in question had to send down his lawyer to survey the landed properties and report feedback. To close the deal it was required of the company to be in person as they closed the deal.
I was dumbfounded when I was picked, by the way, why were the necessary documents not sent to him over there? There wasn't room for many questions since it was my company that sent us, our expenses for the trip were covered by our company while the accommodation and feeding expenses were covered by the client.
Fast forward to when we got to the hotel, the staff was friendly, our bags were taken to the rooms and I was feeling important lol. We were not able to meet the client as soon as possible, according to his assistant.
I didn't take notice of the room all this while I was there until I got a little worried about why we hadn't met him. During my time away, I took it upon myself to move about and I stumbled upon the menu and I was freaking out on the prices there.
There were intercontinental dishes and the prices were something worth yelling for. I looked at my female colleague repeatedly and at the menu on my hand and we burst into laughter. How can a meal be almost ₦100,000 equivalent to $100??
I wasn't even worried at all! I have my feeding expenses covered so no cause for alarm. When another meal was served we requested the receipt and the price was about ₦60,000 equivalent to $60. Infact the actual total price was ₦59,895.15 and I am like just round it up already. I wasn't even pissed because the meal worth it! Unlike some meals I have had in Lekki, I almost shed tears because what was that?
I visited my friend who stays around Ikeja for weekend holidays and we both strolled out to get something. After making plans to cook, we went to the market, and to our surprise, everything that was on our list had doubled in price.
We just shut down the operation of cooking and went to a local joint and had white rice and stew with fried beef. It was so delicious that every day since I was there I often buy that woman's food.
On a good day, I asked her where she came from and whatever was in my curious mind. I got to connect with her on a certain level and this made us friends. Normally, there is something about food that if you can discern it you would consistently patronize that particular seller.
Her foods tasted like homemade meals, food prepared with a passion for cooking, her hygiene was cool to me, and her taste was maintained. Not unlike those that cook and their patterns are always unstable, I dislike that.
Even when I make concoction meals for myself it must be healthy haha....I don't know how to stop it but yo! I don't eat anyhow at all! It's not my thing! I make concoction rice and you see plenty of crayfish and fish and vegetables, is that still a concoction??
I make a concoction of okra soup and you see fish diced, liver diced, and cow skin diced with plenty of crayfish and vegetables, please is that still a concoction??
Heck no! I'm not a fan of low-quality meals and I don't joke with my health and my future self especially when I am old.
Till next time guys....
This is a response to the #hivelearners word of the week episode two - #hl-exclusive & #hl-w90e1.
IMAGES ARE ALL MINE TAKEN WITH MOBILE PHONE EXCEPT HEADER IMAGE FROM PIXABAY
