What is Food Adventuring?

Food adventuring in its essence is a throwback to the ancient ritual of hunting and gathering. We go out into the world to find food and drink and the land provides us with plants and animals to harvest, cook, and eat. Of course, in our day and age, it’s not exactly that simple. We no longer have to rely on whatever is given to us, but are able to choose (most of the time) between multiple options of cultural preparation, ambiance, and experience of the foods we eat.

Still, every food adventure, whether it be trying a new recipe or happening into a random restaurant, offers a sense of the unknown and an opportunity for us to experience (in a little way) the thrill of the hunt or joy of a bountiful gathering expedition. I’m convinced there’s something primal that makes me giddy when I bring home a beautiful piece of meat or find the perfect spot to have a romantic dinner. Our desire to hunt, gather, and eat is the same, it’s just been culturally tamed.

But beyond the physical aspects, food adventuring also entails a mindset of openness to the gastronomic possibilities in life. This is why a food adventure can honestly be any sort of experience where the gathering, cooking, and eating of food is involved. It’s about the whole experience, the emotional struggles of baking to the joy of a roasted suckling pig. The frustration of terrible food at an upscale restaurant to the happiness of an amazing meal prepared in a small shack.

However, to get there, to make that journey, you have to be open, ready for disappointment or glee. This is the genius of food adventuring and why it is a passion of mine. There’s an art, with a little science thrown in, to navigating the culinary landscape of a new place or cooking something perfectly, but it’s all an adventure, and most of the time there’s a pretty good story too. This blog is a celebration of those stories and it is meant to inspire and excite your own adventures. Because you don’t have to be famous to food adventure, you just have to be fearless. So bon appetit and happy adventuring!

Press About The Food Adventurer


December 2011, Patch.com: "Food Adventurer Treks To Port Jefferson"