Eat to live, or live to eat? That is the question. I'm a Live to Eat myself and proudly a "foodie." My obsession with food began in my homeland of Trinidad, where cooking started out more as work avoidance rather than a passion. My mother was, and still is, my culinary messiah; she's well versed in West Indian cuisine, a centuries old fusion of Indian, Chinese, African, Middle Eastern, French, British and Spanish traditions. Moving to the U.S. in 1995 challenged my culinary world. I temporarily relinquished familiar pleasures and explored the vast American gastronomic territory, from simple, cheap ethnic foods to desserts and pricey gourmet fare. Along the way, I discovered food is more than just a terrestrial pleasure — it's culture.
email: rishi.ramkissoon@pmsionline.com
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This article appears in Jan 14-20, 2009.