Why I Love to Eat

Eating is a hobby.

It is also in my opinion one of the best hobbies and passions you can have. Take kayaking for example, yes, I'm sure its enthusiasts say it's one of the greatest joys you can expererience but you are limited in how often you can do it. You need time out of your hectic schedule to be able to indulge in it, you need the budget for it and if you don't want to drown you really are reliant on other people being able to do it with you.

Food as a hobby is something every one of us can wallow in and enjoy every single day. In fact, it's not even once a day but several times a day. I look forward to every meal and snack I consume. Every eating occasion is special and I take full advantage of all these opportunities each day brings to sample new foods, try new things and let myself savour the appearance, smells and most importantly tastes that food delivers.

There is not a single food I will not eat or do not like. This may seem implausible but I have something good to say about all types of food. I am just as happy eating  celery dipped in a heavenly houmous as I am devouring an oozingly drippy chocolate fudge cake bursting with sweet comfort.

Because of this I have decided to start a daily blog. If I'm honest I could write several entries a day because food is something that underscores everything we do. We all need to eat. But eating is not just fuel for me and I immerse myself in all its brilliant forms. I love to cook and will test out recipes, I watch cookery shows, I buy celebrity cookbooks and food magazines. I'm fortunate to be able to work in a job where I get to hear of all the latest developments in the food industry and I always get the urge to try out any new product that graces our supermarket shelves.

But I could never limit myself to just the ordinary. I like to shop in little delis, visit market stalls and discover those little foodie gems off the beaten track that you will only ever find by accident or recommendation. And as well as covering the above, I aim to recommend these troves of food perfection whenever I find them.

Eating out is also incredibly important to me and is, in my opinion, one of the nicest ways to socialise. Food, ultimately is communal; it is about giving and sharing with those you care about. Going to restaurants, for me, is the ultimate indulgent way to spend time with my nearest and dearest. When you have great conversation, great guests and a goregeous gift on a plate in front of you, it really is hard to want to be anywhere else. However, I am just as happy eating properly cooked fish and chips as I am in a tres sophisticated French brasserie. So long as the food has been prepared with care and love, I am happy.

Anything and everything food related will be covered in this blog as long as it offers joy. And that ulimately, is what eating needs to be about. I learn about food history because I find the cultural tapestry behind dishes interesting and because it often makes them even more appealing, not because I want to be  a 'know it all'. I love to cook, not because I'm looking for compliments or because I'm trying to impress my guests but because I'm just naturally greedy and want something good for myself to eat.

For me, any kind of food snobbery or cooking competition is like a food vampire that sucks all the joy and beauty out of food. Eating is a postive thing, it can comfort us, cheer us up, tantalise our tastebuds and provicd a rock in an unsteady world. Why would you ruin it by putting pressure on yourself trying to win admiration for a beautiful looking tarte tatin? I'd rather have a shabby looking crumble with friends so long as it tastes good.

And ultimately, things tasting good is why we eat. Ok, some might eat just to give them energy for the day but I think most of us cook and consume because we want to, because we want that certain taste to satisify our cravings.

And satisify my cravings is what I'm off to do now, by having a gloriously golden bagel smeared thickly with cool, creamy Philadelphia...