Happy Birthday Debbie!

New to Dammit Let’s Eat—Mike R.

I would like to welcome Mike R. to Dammit Let’s Eat Family. He is probably the only one that actually work with food on the daily basis. He was a friend of my friend Mark in Atlanta, and he also knows JJ way back when. Atlanta is a wonderful city to explore—great restaurant to be had, and amazing neighborhoods like Virginia Highland and East Point. We at dammit Let’s Eat hope that all of our readers/listeners will enjoy his contribution as much as we do.

Drop him a line if you feel like it. Email

Mike R

I came to this blog through friends of friends and would love to make more friends through this.

I’m a self pronounced foodie working in the food industry, a love of the newest restaurant, a love of cooking, a love of food on tv and reality shows that come from there, a love of cooking gadgets, and a
sense of adventure when it comes to food. I love to seek out good food. And with my living in Atlanta, an up and coming food city, I have a great chance to stretch my legs.

My southern heritage will come out from time to time, especially in the recipes that I will post on here and the restaurants I will visit. I will attempt to foster a sense of cooking for one, sometimes
tailoring my recipes and communications toward that. I had a mother who was a true Southern cook; she had a possibly unhealthy love of butter and mild mistrust of crisp broccoli which did
not change until college (but funny enough, I still love butter). But I did develop my sweet tooth from her, and her love of fresh vegetables and a little of her love for offal.

I want my recently found love of food to show through here, with some hints to my past along with my love of Mexican food (gained from former roommates who told me to seek out authentic food) and British food (owing from my current employer and my travels) to show through sometimes.

Dirty Word: “Dieting”

I decided to share some personal feelings over a word that I really thought was dirty.  It was a word, for me, as a foodie, shouldn’t be in my vocabulary. 

“Dieting.”

Even now, I’m still uncomfortable saying it.  I love food.  It’s a passion.  Why on earth should I limit something that I am so fond of?  On the surface, my logic is sound.  Foodies and dieting don’t mix.  There’s a quote that really shaped how I saw food: “Never trust a skinny chef.”  It made sense to me.  However, now, I realize that’s just one way to look at food. 

Then I realized what I was becoming.  My thoughts were very addict like.  I work with addicts as my day job.  I teach my clients that life should be savored.  I teach them that, when we over indulge ourselves, we lose appreciation of what we love. 

Dieting is not a bad word.  It’s a good word.  It’s a healthy word especially for foodies like myself.  For me, dieting isn’t cutting all that is good for me.  For me, dieting isn’t depriving me of things that are good for me and good to me.

Dieting for me meant changing my relationship with food.  I had to change what food did for me and what it meant to me. 

I’m an emotional eater.  I have a bad day, then a pint of Ben and Jerry’s would call me.  I have a good day, then a bucket of fried chicken would magically fall on my lap.  Happy or sad, I would eat. 

I also thought loving food meant eating lots of it.  Not true.  I actually lost appreciation for the joy of eating, and I didn’t even realize it. 

My diet consists of still eating what I want but not as much of it.  I take a cue from the French.  They indulge in the most rich food on earth.  However, they are skinny people.  The trick is that they appreciate food.  They don’t have super portions and over indulge like Americans do.  They have smaller portions even though the food they are eating is super rich.  

I have been on this “diet” for a couple of months now.  Looking back at it now, I realize how much more I appreciate food.  When I eat a delicious cookie, I savor it.  I don’t think, “it’s just a cookie.”  I think, “Wow, this sure is tasty.  I’ll take my time savoring its deliciousness.”  By the way, when you eat slower, take the time to savor the food, you actually eat less. 

This diet has done wonders.  In an odd way, I have become a better foodie.  I appreciate more the wonderfulness that is food.  Life is wonderful.  And so is food.