"Veggies and Foodies"

Abby A, please note that nowhere in this thread have I picked on or bullied another user. I don't do that. What I was doing with the question was addressing the dumbing down of our food vernacular. "Veggie" and "foodie" are just examples. How about the Rachaelism "EVOO"? And that's from a woman who knows absolutely nothing about olive oil even though she's willing to slap her name on a bottle. You can blame Food Network for a lot of the dumb down.
I will still challenge the use of "U" as a personal pronoun and "R" as a form of the verb "to be" in our bipolar, 140 character text world.

Throwing bones and poking fun is one thing in a closed community but in an open forum like this, your clique is going to understand the inside jokes while the rest of us feel bullied for having a certain vocabulary, having a restricted diet and for liking Rachel Ray. Just an outsider's point of view. thanks.

Enough, already.

Yeah? In what way?

LLStone, you're doing exactly the same by responding.

I couldn’t agree more, krusher. And still, I was responding to you when I said that this thread had become personal. You did not add to the discussion of veg, veggie, vegetable (btw, I use all three), and instead posted the following:
By the way he is not a chef. He is a occasional cook who inherited his mother's substantial collection of cookbooks.
Actually more like a limp veggie! I note he is not much of a fan of them. Out of 129 recipes 13 are sort of seriously vegetable focussed. Bones he understands. His recipes indicate he is a meat/soccer sort of bloke.
I have a theory that you are Jack's (Pierino's) other site and not a separate person. I have followed your tandem comments since you joined. I note also he was your first follower and now devoted supporter. I am not the only one who has raised this as a possibility.
Yes, and I own, use and love her "Vegetable Literacy". You are not the only one who reads. We are all educated and most of well travelled and knowledgeable in food matters. Talking down to us or being rude to us will always elicit a response.
Did anyone get the "wedgie" reference from the offended Pierino's original question? Not the first time some irrelevant throw away sexual reference has been tossed out? What the hell is this tough love label all about anyway. "Something is crook in Tallerook" I reckon. He can toss the stuff out there and cannot take it when the stuff is called!
I agree let's get back to the main game - the food. Let's be inclusive, support each other's successes and not form alliances that are so transparent to the astute observer. It's about the produce, the cooks who lovingly prepare it and those if us who are blessed to be able eat it. A huge slab of the world is starving and without shelter. Let's be mindful of our good fortune and share it.

Now, without spending a ton of time on this, the above look like statements that could be considered “personal” and “not-very-nice”. I don’t know, but I’m getting real tired of this online “communication” stuff when it is so un-nice / un-professional .

I wish that everyone's life was such that these are the things important to debate. Who cares? As long as people are eating and cooking with and understanding their produce, why does it matter what they call it? As long as people are trying and experimenting and making food for themselves or their families -- even if it's (gasp) put together with some convenience foods, who cares what they call it? I don't mean to be rude, but let's be real. Let's encourage people to branch out and use fresh produce and try new things and not judge the terms they might use. But I'm sure many of you would say I have no place to comment. I'm not a chef or a restauranteur or anything. I'm a regular person trying to put healthy and nice meals on the table and when I have time experimenting with food and what I might do. And I don't care if I use vegetables, veggies or veg (I've lived in the Commonwealth too and will always have affection for "veg").

Pierino, your question may have been genuine, but you kind of shot yourself in the foot with it's tone. I also read the article in question last week in Zester. Ms. Madison's tone and information therein is are as knowledgeable as one would expect her to be. I didn't remotely read it as a "dissin' piece. Rather, she makes the case quite eloquently that she feels that the word "veggie" is "infantile," and that it leads them to be perceived as "fluffy and insubstantial." Ms. Madison does not once use the words "5-year-old" or "Mommy." Neither does she segue into "foodie," nor offer a "wedgie" to those who disagree with her.

As for the term "foodie," there was a thread tangentially on the subject here not long ago:
http://food52.com/hotline/20086-being-a-foodie-but-staying-managing-to-stay-thin-or-at-a-good-weight
When the questioner was criticized for using the term, she explained quite respectfully that in Canada it has a very different cultural connotation.

In sum, if you use inflammatory language and describe yourself as a "bomb thrower", please do not be surprised when people become inflamed.

And what the whole thing has to do with supporting home cooks rather than oneself, the purported reason for the existence of the Hotline, is beyond me.

Did anyone get the "wedgie" reference from the offended Pierino's original question? Not the first time some irrelevant throw away sexual reference has been tossed out? What the hell is this tough love label all about anyway. "Something is crook in Tallerook" I reckon. He can toss the stuff out there and cannot take it when the stuff is called!
I agree let's get back to the main game - the food. Let's be inclusive, support each other's successes and not form alliances that are so transparent to the astute observer. It's about the produce, the cooks who lovingly prepare it and those if us who are blessed to be able eat it. A huge slab of the world is starving and without shelter. Let's be mindful of our good fortune and share it.

pierino - I need to watch more television! I can't comment on your "Portlandia" at all. So, I can't comment on the irony / hilarity of that. But, my comment on the ugliness of this thread remains unchanged.

This is starting to look like a HuffPost comment section, and frankly, I don’t like it one bit. I’m only checking the Hotline because I wanted an answer on a meat grinder, but I’ve seen this thread and I don’t think it represents the F52 community very well. I sense that some of you have your antennae up w/ pierino, for whatever reason – and I don’t want to know it. But this has become personal, not-very-nice, and ridiculous. Many folks post the non-serious threads for discussion about timely articles – this is no different. If you don’t like the discussion, don’t participate; and if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. My goodness, this is a site about home cooking!

Good heavens Pierino. Look what you started! Some have really got their knickers in a twist over something poked in fun. Perhaps some should lighten up a bit and not take things so seriously or personally.

Trust and Respect is earned not a given because of a "title" in my opinion. I agree that the Hotline should be used in a constructive manner, and the community she answer questions, but I guess a nerve has been struck within the "community." Does anyone appreciate off topic comments to an answer, condescending tone, or constant negativity? Just saying... You reap what you sow.

Regarding the woed veggies and foodies... I don't sweat the small stuff, so I'm on the "other" side of the commenters (including Pierno) hatred for the words...

Yes, and I own, use and love her "Vegetable Literacy". You are not the only one who reads. We are all educated and most of well travelled and knowledgeable in food matters. Talking down to us or being rude to us will always elicit a response.

What the “H?”

Regardless if Pierino meant this thread to be “serious” or “throwing out a bone to jump on,” he, I’m talking to you, Pierino, has been labeled a trusted source on General Cooking and Tough Love by the “Food52 powers that be.” Really?

Regardless of what side you all choose to be on...

This Hotline should be used in a constructive manner, especially by one who carries a title representing this community. Period.

I've read it and do respect both her eminent knowledge and her opinion. And I respect many of the people who commented on her original piece in favor of using the full word "vegetable." Her point is that vegetables deserve respect. They do. But I'm often puzzled why we are divisive as a community of cooks. Why is there snobbery when it's great that people are cooking and enjoying it whether they cook vegetables or veggies? In Scotland, I ate "tatties and neeps" and many cultures have similar slang and shortcuts. Does veg work better because it's British? No one seems to have a problem with River Cottage Veg. In fact, I'm looking forward to getting a copy!

I've read it and do respect both her eminent knowledge and her opinion. And I respect many of the people who commented on her original piece in favor of using the full word "vegetable." Her point is that vegetables deserve respect. They do. But I'm often puzzled why we are divisive as a community of cooks. Why is there snobbery when it's great that people are cooking and enjoying it whether they cook vegetables or veggies? In Scotland, I ate "tatties and neeps" and many cultures have similar slang and shortcuts. Does veg work better because it's British? No one seems to have a problem with River Cottage Veg. In fact, I'm looking forward to getting a copy!

Hey, yeah, everybody, let's gang up on Pierino… for telling it like it is. Some of you need to bone up on your Shakespeare; he's just the messenger.

The point some seem to be missing is that not everyone looks kindly upon the terms under discussion and there may be unexpected consequences for their use. If you had a piece of spinach stuck between your teeth, wouldn't you want someone to tell you?

I, for one, am totally with Pierino. Both "veggie" and "foodie" are horrid sounding and juvenile terms. But, how interesting that some people felt it incumbent on them to jump all over him for daring to raise the issue. Good for him, I say.

Actually more like a limp veggie! I note he is not much of a fan of them. Out of 129 recipes 13 are sort of seriously vegetable focussed. Bones he understands. His recipes indicate he is a meat/soccer sort of bloke.

Once was enough! Sorry

Abby A says it best. Is this a serious question? Really?

Abby A, thank you for sharing your thoughts. Do stick around and share with us. This is a community with many voices--veggies and wedgies aside.

As a mom, I spent glorious years gently entreating my children to "eat their veggies", and I see nothing wrong with the term. It only brings back lovely memories for me. So thank you very much, but I will continue to be fond of the word "veggies".

Mean spirited just like your reply to the women trying to make a vegan conversion from Dutch oven to crockpot. The "my language is superior to yours" and/or "your gluten ignorance is in your head" treads are not helpful. It's turnoff us lurkers, trying to learn and get the courage to share. We get it already...you're a fabulous chef.

So,pierino, how do you feel about the alternative forms of "sandwich", e.g. 'sammies','sando'?

Vegetables = veg to me. Too much time spent over the pond, and I can't seem to get back on the habit of saying "vegetables" ! But "veg" has a more positive, adult connotation to me than "veggies."

For me, it's "veggie" that's like fingernails on a blackboard! I wouldn't even use it with a 5 year old : )
But I don't use "foodie" either, in any context.

Pierino, I think the term "wedgie" is much older that "veggie" or "foodie" and it's a sophomoric term at best. Thankfully, the terms "foodie" and "veggie" are also earning that status.