The Chowist Mating Game - does it even exist?

Hi,

Over on another board, there was someone chirping about how the site helped him win over his lady love or at least put him on solid ground for a first date. The result, after much turbulence, is an engagement and pending marriage. Actually they met via match.com, but is she a Chowist type person? Are they a Chowist couple? I couldn't tell from the context.

In my circle of Chowist friends, there are certainly several married couples but none who met via Chow activities or related sites. More often than not, it is one partner who is Chowist and the other comes along rarely, if at all. In fact, I am aware of one divorce where one reason offered was her disdain of the chowist community.

I always thought it could be an ideal situation being a Chowist couple, of course it could be too much of a good thing! I guess the only Chowist couple we have is Amata-Antonius, though just by postings alone Antonius appears to be the dominant Chowist ... but I hope they will explain for themselves.

So are there any other dual-chowist couples out there? How did you meet? Was it the food that brought you together or something else? Do you both post? If not, why?

Oh, if you know what pheromone eludes me, well, I'd be interested to know. Of course, I have yet to try to pumpkin spice behind the ears trick!

Okay, Cathy, I can't ignore your invitation to write in!

Chow-ism definitely played a big role in bringing Antonius and me together. When we started dating I was knocked out by the Italian meals he would cook for me -- plus he was someone who was happy to run down to Pilsen with me for a snack at 1 am! After a few months of mostly cucina italiana at his home or mine, and mostly cocina mexicana going out, Antonius made me a Belgian dinner: filet mignon seared in a hot pan, a green peppercorn cream sauce, braised Belgian endives, a little frisee.... and homemade Belgian frites. The whole dinner was fabulous, and when I ate the first frite I said, "Will you marry me?"

In other words, I married Antonius for his potatoes...

(I think that qualifies me as a serious chow-ist, don't you? )

Cathy!

You're missing someone - while he's not an avid poster, Thor's Personal Assistant does qualify as Chowist as well, and now we've got the Chowbaby. Our mating ritual involved food as well. When we met, Thor's PA told me that he was a "fussy" eater. Given my chowist tendencies, I knew that this would be a problem. On the other side, he is an avid sports fan, me not so much. We made a deal, he would eat anything I put in front of him, I would learn about the intricacies of various athletic activities. Funny thing, we shortly learned that not only is he not a fussy eater, but that he is happy to participate in Chow adventures (5 meals in 5 hours in NYC) and has a finely tuned palate.

P.S. While my sports knowlege has not particularly increased, I have become a White Sox fan.

MAG wrote:Cathy!

You're missing someone - while he's not an avid poster, Thor's Personal Assistant does qualify as Chowist as well, and now we've got the Chowbaby. Our mating ritual involved food as well. When we met, Thor's PA told me that he was a "fussy" eater. Given my chowist tendencies, I knew that this would be a problem. On the other side, he is an avid sports fan, me not so much. We made a deal, he would eat anything I put in front of him, I would learn about the intricacies of various athletic activities. Funny thing, we shortly learned that not only is he not a fussy eater, but that he is happy to participate in Chow adventures (5 meals in 5 hours in NYC) and has a finely tuned palate.

P.S. While my sports knowlege has not particularly increased, I have become a White Sox fan.

The Condiment Queen is also a Chowhound, but even when she dined at Trio and then the Come Back Inn a mere 2 hours later, she refused to post on the subject. Her participation and interest in events has a lot to do with babysitting and non-food factors. I would call her a hound of high esteem.

On the other hand, except for a passing interest in the Bulls during their championship run, she has never become enamored with sports. But as much as it might be on during lunch time (and I admire the hotties) I have not become an All My Children fan either.

Well, the two of us met at work, and at the time he was *not* chowist at all. AT ALL. I overlooked this and he became my roomate, then my hey-let's-keep-living-together-boyfriend, and now my fiance

Anyway, when we were *just plain roomates* he would eat StoveTop out of the pan and that's it for dinner, so of course I was horrified. I invited him to start eating with us, as my other roomate and I took turns cooking. He quickly warmed to the homemade meals, made from scratch sauces, and cookies in the jar at all times.

Then just the 2 of us kept living together, and I cooked all the time, and he became very, very interested in how the food came together, etc. We started having great meals at restaurants. He even cooked a couple of times, with impressive results

I must say, at this point, I've created a monster, albeit a good one, because he is now sooo chowish that we have literally sat down in restaurants, looked at the menu, and he's said, "let's leave and find something better."

Yet with all this newfound interest and knowledge, he just doesn't wanna post. He leaves it to me, which is fine, as long as I keep filling him in

I must say, at this point, I've created a monster, albeit a good one, because he is now sooo chowish that we have literally sat down in restaurants, looked at the menu, and he's said, "let's leave and find something better."

It sometimes takes a strong constitution to read a menu, judge it is not for you and walk out. If I am with someone else and we are going into someplace speculatively, then I encourage reading the menu first before sitting down. You really do get the lizard eye when you walk out after the water has been set down!

So far, you and Melissa have converted your gentlemen with dare I suggest the "love and affection" you communicated via food. Good taste is a learned process, which your gentlemen have been very willing participants in the journey. Yet in both cases, the women take the lead on posting about the experience.

I was well aware of Rob's wife "The Condiment Queen" being a very willing participant in the chowist experience. I also recognized childrearing and its' responsibilities do not allow enough time in the day. Certainly, the darling daughters are Chowists-in-progress.

And who knew the power of a dinner cooked Belgium-style would evolve into a marriage proposal! For whatever reason, Amata and Antonius are the only known to-me Chowist couple who do both post. If I understood correctly, when you both met you were both at a high level of food awareness.

So far in our very small sampling you need to find a person who is happy with a lower standard of food or admitted fussy eater who probably meets other criteria. Spinning gold in the kitchen, who doesn't like to come home to a carefully made meal, and otherwise elevating their palate converted them to Chowism.

Chowist couples are rare indeed, chowist couples who both post are even rarer.

i always seem to date non-chowists. the first time i went to my ex's house to hang out, as i was retreiving our beers from the fridge - i was struck by the absence of any food in it. when i realized he only ate carry-out (mostly pizza) and bad-carryout at that (he hated any spice), i hightailed it out of there.

my current interest is somewhat hesitant to try new foods, however i have seen a glimmer of hope, a bit of culinary curiosity. but i always ask myself, ..."can i love a man who doesn't love mustard?"

sharon

my girlfriend is an interesting case: she cooks good, interesting food for herself and is more chow-adventurous than I am when we eat out, but expresses very few, if any, preferences when it comes to cooking or eating. she likes good food, she's just very rarely as enthusiastic about it as the rest of us.

which, of course, is probably part of why she's so damned skinny.

-ed

Sharon:

..."can i love a man who doesn't love mustard?"

Standards! You have standards! I hope he meets your other criteria, which otherwise makes him a satisfactory person to hang out.

Yet, when they don't care enough to feed themselves well, they probably don't have the insight to take care of you well, either. Food just may be easy to observe, but there are likely dust bunnies under the bed as well. You were likely very right to follow your instincts and run for the hills.

Ed:

I had some guests from California who with every bit announced how full they were. By meal's end, they had consumed 1/3 of their meal, I had nearly finished mine. They're too skinny and I am their polar opposite. As much as I may want a smaller me, I don't want it at that expense.

Anyway, a skinny girl who cooks well and interested in diverse foods, a pretty good find.

In my dating experiences I have found that non-chowist types look at me three different ways: Shock , awe , or just disgust.

With the shocked response, it is generally connected with a statement like. You actually eat that?

The awed reaction is accompanied by. You can make macaroni and cheese without the powdered cheese packet?

The disgust is usually accompanied by. How can you go to 4 different places for food in one night. (this was the last relationship ender thank you Joliet outing)

I have yet to find a chowist on the dating circle, but I don't know if I can afford to either.

Flip


ps

Oh, if you know what pheromone eludes me, well, I'd be interested to know. Of course, I have yet to try to pumpkin spice behind the ears trick!

do you think the rotten shark thing has anything to do with it?

Just kidding

The disgust is usually accompanied by. How can you go to 4 different places for food in one night. (this was the last relationship ender thank you Joliet outing)

Somehow people think we are obsessed!

You should see the eyes shoot up when people learn you fly out to Kansas City for the day just to eat BBQ. Even within our Chowist circle, this is an anomaly ... but what a day!

Rotted shark certainly makes a rank perfume. And a great conversation stopper! Few can top it, so I keep that bit of my history under covers until I know them better.

Cathy2 wrote:

The disgust is usually accompanied by. How can you go to 4 different places for food in one night. (this was the last relationship ender thank you Joliet outing)

Somehow people think we are obsessed!

You should see the eyes shoot up when people learn you fly out to Kansas City for the day just to eat BBQ. Even within our Chowist circle, this is an anomaly ... but what a day!

I'm guessing that spending the day in Kansas City having a good time was a bargain at $200-250 per person. OTOH, how many have spent the same on a date, golfing, for a couple of shirts, etc. Value is what you perceive it to be. Frankly paying $10 an hour for entertainment is a bargain. A 2 hour movie, popcorn, and drink for 2 is around $15 per hour.

Flip wrote:In my dating experiences I have found that non-chowist types look at me three different ways: Shock , awe , or just disgust.

The disgust is usually accompanied by. How can you go to 4 different places for food in one night. (this was the last relationship ender thank you Joliet outing)

A parallel experience: I once knew a promising relationship wasn't going to work out when s.o. expressed disgust at my gleeful plan to "eat my way thru Europe."

Wasn't like I wasn't going to to other stuff, too.

Sheesh.

Giovanna

Wasn't like I wasn't going to to other stuff, too

Gee whiz, you at least need time between meals to digest! So why not go to a museum. When we travel, I do try to plan dinner options at our destinations as well as the cultural stuff. If I can help it, I don't want to waste my calories on mediocre food. If I'm going to go hog wild, then I want it to be for food of character and substance.

Our Chowist preoccupation does put us in a different world. Of course, there are a whole lot of other special interests, which leaves me clueless. Where we may clash with the non-Chowists, is that no matter what we all have to eat. I think Chowists put more effort and consideration over where to eat when they go out as well as in the food they make at home. Non-chowists draw the conclusion we are pre-occupied with food ... oh well, maybe a tad bit, but all we want is great food every time it can be obtained.

Of course, life with another Chowist could be harmonious, a constant competition or feed off each other's energy to a greater good.

It sometimes takes a strong constitution to read a menu, judge it is not for you and walk out. If I am with someone else and we are going into someplace speculatively, then I encourage reading the menu first before sitting down. You really do get the lizard eye when you walk out after the water has been set down!

I agree - we've never walked out after the water's delivered. The sitting down and then leaving thing happens rarely, but what happens more often, is the wandering from place to place til I'm almost fainting of hunger! It is worth the effort, but he is, at times, even more determined than I am to find a perfect meal. This must balance out because at home I'm more determined to *cook* a perfect meal. Hmm.

***

As far as "Gleeful plans to eat my way through Europe" go, I have these gleeful plans everywhere! One of my favorite memories of this is standing in a bakery (Modern Pastry, how I miss you) in the North End of Boston, eating pizza (off a paper plate) I had just bought across the street, while I waited to place my cannoli order I guess that would bring out a lot of "Shock , awe , or just disgust" in a lot of people, but
too bad for them! As Cathy2 says "I don't want to waste my calories on mediocre food."


***

..."when they don't care enough to feed themselves well, they probably don't have the insight to take care of you well, either."

I am sure this is true. My ex, who I could *not*, despite my best efforts, convert from a white bread, orange cheese, and no-vegetable diet, was a...wanker. Didn't care what he ate, didn't care what I thought.

My life is so much better now!

the wandering from place to place til I'm almost fainting of hunger! It is worth the effort, but he is, at times, even more determined than I am to find a perfect meal.

I have had some famously fun evenings where the destination was unknown and the results very, very satisfying. Sometimes, it is just pointing the car in a new direction and stop at what interests you. Read the menu, if it is not up to par, then move on.

Just recently, I was on the phone with another Chowist and scanning the internet for where to go for dinner. Where we ended up was not what I initially expected but it was an adventure for both of us, which is all I ever wanted.

I'm glad you have solid data to back up my theory, though it is unfortunate to be acquainted with any who, "Didn't care what he ate, didn't care what I thought."

I'm so glad you have found better pastures!

the wandering from place to place til I'm almost fainting of hunger!

This is one of the Bride's greatest annoyances with yours truly - as she calls it, the "search for the perfect place." As she is a binary eater, hungry or not, eating or not - once she is hungry, she must be eating. This has put pressure on me to either be more flexible and let her eat when she must ("Let's stop here and get a snack, and then we can eat later" is my new catch phrase), or have some places to eat in mind at all times so we can get food within 15 minutes.

In return, she has agreed to not become furious with me when she is hungry and we pass one restaurant without turning in. Of course, we both have abundant examples of the horrors created by the other's approach - I can quote awful meals, just because the place was convenient, and she can tell me about two hour pilgrimages to a place in the middle of nowhere that has been closed for the past year, so we back track for an hour and then I want to check out menus and pick the right place.

The horror!

I suppose chow is more like an addiction, and it stands in the way of a truly intimate relationship.

dicksond wrote:

the wandering from place to place til I'm almost fainting of hunger!

This is one of the Bride's greatest annoyances with yours truly - as she calls it, the "search for the perfect place." As she is a binary eater, hungry or not, eating or not - once she is hungry, she must be eating. This has put pressure on me to either be more flexible and let her eat when she must ("Let's stop here and get a snack, and then we can eat later" is my new catch phrase), or have some places to eat in mind at all times so we can get food within 15 minutes.

This is my problem as well. The Chow Poodle, as many of you know, is not a very adventurous eater...although she is getting better. I have solved this problem by eating often with my Chowist friends. The Chow Poodle seems to understand and welcomes the chance to eat her "regular" food, while I get to indulge my tastes. This has solved a great piont of contention in our relationship.

she can tell me about two hour pilgrimages to a place in the middle of nowhere that has been closed for the past year, so we back track for an hour and then I want to check out menus and pick the right place.

I once went on the trek for the perfect fried tenderloin sandwich, somewhere west and south of Chicago. When I arrived to ground zero, there was an obviously locked up business. I went to the bar next door to learn what happened. Everyone was incredulous I was inquiring about a place which had not been open in over 8 years. When I mentioned their fried tenderloin sandwich, everyone had their own remorseful recollection. They did confirm it was very good had I made it there 8 years earlier.

I guess we test many people's patience who are more accepting of what is readily available. Yet, we also have a circle of friends and family who want our advice where to eat. So we are both a reliable source of information and a constant source of vexing moments.

I reentered the dating scene thirty years ago, after I was divorced. My interests were centered on finding someone who was bright, articulate, interesting, attractive, with similar political, social and religious views. That can be a daunting task, but I persevered and found someone who had also persevered. At the time, I didn't view myself as an obsessed "Chowist", but I do remember viewing the willingness of a date to accompany me to an ethnic restaurant as a qualifier. One woman, who had many of the requisite qualities, could only see a steak and a potato and being a fine meal out.

Now I am the one who spends time reviewing postings on several message boards. My wife has no interest in that at all.

My message board fascination began when I heard a store on NPR about Chowhound.com and looked up the site. For several months I read only posts. Eventually I began to post some. Finally, a vacation to Miami and Key West was planned - so I utilized Chowhound (the only site I was aware of, at the time) and printed out recommendations of restaurants along the way. I didn't know exactly when we would be where, so I took along much more than was needed. All my wife could say was something about how we were going on vacation and I wanted to take this stack of printouts along. I said "Yes" and left it at that.

Our first meal using these printouts was in the Keys at a restaurant (Bayside Grille) that we would never have even noticed had it not been for Chowhound. What we ate was very good. That evening we ate in Key West at a place (Blue Heaven) where we had a forty minute wait for a table on a Monday evening. It was the best meal we had that week. The next day, my wife grabbed the stack of printouts and asked where I thought we should have lunch, as she read through them.

She still doesn't read any of the message boards. She does willingly accompany me to restaurants on trips and at home. We usually order different dishes, salads, soups, desserts, etc. so as to broaden our experience. She provides input through me.

By my definition, my wife is a Chowist.

My interests were centered on finding someone who was bright, articulate, interesting, attractive, with similar political, social and religious views. That can be a daunting task, but I persevered and found someone who had also persevered.

People have tried to convince me diversity in relationships is healthy. I say bull puckies, you really want to have more similarities so at a quick glance you can come to an understanding. Certainly complimentary skill sets is also a plus. Life shouldn't be one endless argument or tug-of-war. I admire your willingness not to compromise to find someone with your criteria.

As for being Chowist, you worked magic on your wife like I do with my family. My sister has actually told some of my Chowist friends how I actually research food options along our routes. Now mind you she say this as if I am mad as a hatter. It is fabulously funny to see them give her a dead pan reply, "Yes, but so do I!" She never quite gets it when she meets my Chowist friends, she has met my tribe (DougK).

Initially, I carried Jane and Michael Stern's Road Food/Good Food books in the car. After a few occasions of wowing my family with very good lunches and dinners in remote locations, they were hooked. I really got sophisticated when I had access to the internet, then I really went wild carrying all these printouts around. Just like you!

Anyway, your life with the Chowist wife sounds just divine. Thanks for posting your story, it is very life affirming to this lady.

Cathy2 wrote:

My interests were centered on finding someone who was bright, articulate, interesting, attractive, with similar political, social and religious views. That can be a daunting task, but I persevered and found someone who had also persevered.

People have tried to convince me diversity in relationships is healthy. I say bull puckies, you really want to have more similarities so at a quick glance you can come to an understanding. Certainly complimentary skill sets is also a plus. Life shouldn't be one endless argument or tug-of-war. I admire your willingness not to compromise to find someone with your criteria.

As for being Chowist, you worked magic on your wife like I do with my family. My sister has actually told some of my Chowist friends how I actually research food options along our routes. Now mind you she say this as if I am mad as a hatter. It is fabulously funny to see them give her a dead pan reply, "Yes, but so do I!" She never quite gets it when she meets my Chowist friends, she has met my tribe (DougK).

Initially, I carried Jane and Michael Stern's Road Food/Good Food books in the car. After a few occasions of wowing my family with very good lunches and dinners in remote locations, they were hooked. I really got sophisticated when I had access to the internet, then I really went wild carrying all these printouts around. Just like you!

Anyway, your life with the Chowist wife sounds just divine. Thanks for posting your story, it is very life affirming to this lady.

Is diversity in relationships healthy? I feel that one should find, as much as is possible, a spouse who shares values. Enough differences will become evident over time. Gender is difference enough to cause all sorts of problems. Balance in some areas is beneficial. My wife is a "big picture" person, while I am into detail. If we were alike in this manner, I feel that we would create all sorts of problems for ourselves. Appreciating this difference is not easy - but with effort, it is happening.

My wife doesn't often mention feeling good about my chow interests, but there are moments. Recently, I was called upon to offer suggestions. My wife teaches English to Speakers of Other Languages. Each summer she has lunch with several other ESOL teachers from other schools. My task was to find an interesting ethnic restaurant which was convenient to all and which had room enough for them to sit and visit after the meal was over. This year I suggested a French bistro run by a Vietnamese family. She reported that it was very well received.

We also carried one of the Stern's books "Roadfood" with us on trips before the message boards came along. I find the books interesting, but the message boards are more current - and there are a number of excellent places mentioned on the message boards which have not yet been reviewed by the Sterns.

My wife generally doesn't care to accompany me to meals with other AtlantaCuisine participants. She has, but she doesn't make a habit out of it. Her preference is to visit a highly recommended place on our own. That's fine with me. Sometimes that allows two visits rather than one.

Milt wrote:Is diversity in relationships healthy? I feel that one should find, as much as is possible, a spouse who shares values. Enough differences will become evident over time. Gender is difference enough to cause all sorts of problems. Balance in some areas is beneficial.

Oh, I totally agree. My girlfriend and I share almost the exact same set of values, beliefs, interests, et cetera, but the way we go about our lives, the way we approach events, the way we tackle problems, is fairly different. We build off each other pretty well. She and I "clicked" better than I have with anyone I've met (and that feeling has continued over the past several months), and it's the most normal, peaceful, happy, understanding relationship I've been in.

I think sharing common interests is perhaps one of the most important things -- being interested in food, politics, music, sociology, whatever. It means you can have long, winding conversations about anything and everything. But there have to be enough differences in opinion, or at least knowledge, to sustain the conversation in the second or third hour.

The only problem with it is we keep staying up until 2 or 3 am talking, and I'm the one who has to wake up in the morning!

"And so, betwixt the two of them, they licked the platter clean."

Sharing food is, to me, such an essential of living together that I can't imagine being married to someone who doesn't eat the way I do.

But I'm the last person to advise others about how to find a mate. My husband (who posts here as RheS) and I met through science fiction, and that's about as unlikely a way for two foodies to find each other as I can think of. I'm rather mystified as to how we did it. (In fact, neither of us can remember precisely when or where we met.)

Finding great food has been an exciting adventure for us throughout our relationship. Both our tastes and our knowledge have evolved thoughout our 19-year marriage. Together we've sampled Australian witchitty grubs, Mexican ant larvae, hearty Dutch potatoes (two kinds with every meal!), Korean spicy raw crab and Chinese "dirt" cookies, as well as much more satisfying cuisine.

When we were first courting (a long-distance relationship), he took me out for my first sushi, a rare experience at the time -- not then available in my hometown though I had tried sashimi. We discovered Vietnamese food together at Taste of Chicago. Soon after we were married, we had a great time participating in a Lettuce Entertain You promotion where, if you tried seven of their restaurants (they only had 10 or 12 then, IIRC, back in the days of Fritz That's It! and Jonathon Livingston Seafood), you got a free dinner at then LEYE-owned Pump Room, a restaurant we could not then have otherwise afforded.

We have slightly different tastes and interests -- he knows more about wine than I do; I'm more insistent on and patient with the search for the best possible meal than he is. He dislikes poultry and I'm not fond of liver. He likes bitter flavors more than I do (Chinar and Campari) and I'm more apt to enjoy sweet ones (lamb with apricot glaze). He cuts all the fat off his steak and prefers a boneless cut and I order rib steak and think the crispy fat at the edges is the best part. But the Jack Sprat analogy works better for us than some.

We have several pairs of friends who have incompatible tastes. One is a vegan; his wife, who does the family cooking, enjoys meat. One is a gourmet; her husband's idea of a good meal is a plain hamburger. One is a religious Jew and never eats pork or shellfish; his wife, reared less strictly, adores crustaceans. I really find it very hard to imagine how they live.

Hi,

In Cyberspace, there is another discussion of Food and Dating.

I seem to only attract the pizza and beer type of guys.So,C2,tried the pumpkin spice yet?

A 5 month update: I've pretty much turned her into a foodie. She can no longer eat ramen noodles or much fast food. She's not as disgusted by the prospect of paying over $100 per person for a meal. Et cetera.

It's been a remarkable transformation. I'm pretty pleased.

Actually, I'm probably more likely to eat ramen than she is. And she's willing to try food with tripe in it.

hmm. maybe I need converting.

gleam wrote:A 5 month update: I've pretty much turned her into a foodie. She can no longer eat ramen noodles or much fast food.
...
Actually, I'm probably more likely to eat ramen than she is. And she's willing to try food with tripe in it.

hmm. maybe I need converting.

I have to ask: have you tried the Korean version of ramen before? Ramyun (or ramyeon?) is a pretty decent (and pretty cheap) treat, and I'm sure that more than a few couples in Korea have integrated a bowl or two into an outing (though this probably involved a street vendor and not necessarily any instant noodles). I won't order or request ramyun on my own, but I've been known to accept a bowl every so often.

Of the instant variety, a few decent specimens can be found in these parts. The Nong Shim company produces several popular flavors (their logo looks like a red circle), but the following three are the brands/flavors I've had the most. You can find Shin ramyun (designated "Gold" for some reason), Neoguri (with udon/udong-style noodles), and Yook-gye-jang (which I've usually had in cup ramyun form) among the spicier varieties at most Korean grocers (such as the ever-popular Chicago Food). All you need is a pot (or, in the case of cup ramyun, just some boiling water) and you're good to go.

I can't speak for gourmet/premium ramyun (if it even exists in instant form), but your girlfriend might be interested in something with a little more flavor than the standard Japanese or American ramen found in most stores. (That's in my humble opinion. Most of my instant Japanese experiences have tended toward Sapporo Ichiban's original red-and-white packs. Now that's fast food.) The restaurant ramyun scene, on the other hand, would best be left to someone with more experience and expertise.

Links for pictures I found at iKoreaPlaza.com's ramen section (sorry, only the individual product packaging is available online):

Nongshim Chapagetti (instant ja-jang-myun)
Nongshim Kimchi Bowl Noodle
Nongshim Shin Ramen (claims to be the "TOP selling ramen in the world")
Nongshim Hot & Spicy Bowl Noodle (what's called yook-gye-jang, even though the restaurant/supermarket form is usually much better)
Nongshim Neoguri Udon (I don't recognize this package; it could possibly be a slightly different ramyun than what I've had, or the import packaging has yet to catch up to the latest design.)
Various Korean ramens
Various cup/bowl ramens
Sapporo Ichiban Ramen Original Flavor

--Dan

Hi,

I love interacting with Chowist food-oriented people from different parts of the country. It is rather reassuring we are on the same track when we live so far away we cannot influence each other ... unless we find ourselves here in our little pocket of the internet.

This woman was describing a date at a restaurant where the food was a real turn on. She was deep into a lively discussion about their food, food experiences and was getting all the right responses from her date. In the back of her mind she thought she had found a fellow Chowist. In the middle of this excellent meal AND conversation, her date inquired if all she ever talked about was food. Kerplunk. Meal wasn't over though the date was certainly marked dead end material.

I laughed with her when she intimated there was no reason to continue further contact with someone who didn't appreciate food.

http://www.fark.com/cgi/vidplayer.pl?IDLink=4662470

"One of my favorite foods is pizza." (@ 2:15 in the above link)

For any community members on the dating scene, do you put favorite foods (or the fact that you're a "foodie," localvore, online food enthusiast, etc.) in your profiles or initial conversations? We've discussed dating vegetarians / non-vegetarians with some insight, but I'm curious as to how much we consider this hobby also an integral part of our marketable identity. I would wager that with the increasing diversity and consciousness of food and food sources, there is more to talk about now at the dinner table (still a primary medium for dates) than twenty years ago, and I wonder how much that has changed dating, and for that matter, relationships.

PS: watch out for "Goddess Guy" at 1:45. That guy has game.