Read a great article this past weekend from AP Food Editor J.M. Hirsch, The '90s Set the Table for a Decade of Good Eats.
For this was the decade of the gourmeting of America, an era when cola wars and burger battles made way for artisanal sodas and grass fed beef, when coffee went from a cup of joe to a double shot-half-caff-soy-latte, ethnic was de rigueur and local became the new global.
Of course, we had movies and books that thrust food and food issues into the national spotlight -- from the politicized "Super Size Me" and "Fast Food Nation" -- to the Food Network (whose viewership apparently jumped 392% from 1999 to 2009) and Bravo's "Top Chef." Suddenly, it seemed, a KitchenAid Stand Mixer became a must-have, and we wonder when McDonald's might someday serve a Big Mac made with grass-fed beef, organic lettuce, and a gluten-free bun. Anything's possible.
Several industries have certainly profited from the foodie movement. It's changed our overall behaviors: we're inviting friends over; bringing leftovers to the office; buying more equipment for our kitchens; frequenting food festivals and farmers markets; bragging about how much we paid for a particular cheese or bottle of wine. We're also eating smarter and better. And that's a good thing.
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