La Gourmandise, or La Gourmadesse?

As far back as I can remember, food has been a love of mine. Several years ago, during some travels in Europe, my friend Morgan and I discussed the French term gourmand, for which there is no English equivalent. Having enjoyed much pizza, pasta, pastries, chocolate and wine in the countries of Switzerland, France and Italy, the term seemed fitting to us.

Literally translated, gourmand would become glutton. In fact, one of the French Catholic 7 Deadly Sins is known as La Gourmandise. However, the term really means someone who takes a lot of pleasure from food and drink.

And so, as time goes by,  I become more and more interested in drinking good wine and cooking food that makes me happy, and I have began to see myself as a gourmand.  The term, however, feels a little bulky and masculine. La Gourmandesse fits like a flirty apron and makes me feel like a food-loving vixen, rather than a portly old man.

This blog is mostly about the enjoyment of food and drink on a budget. As a mid-twenty-something who has not yet reached the time of life where a $25 bottle of wine is a Wednesday night occurence, I’ll be writing about pleasures that are accessible to the average Canadian.