Corin W.'s Profile

Corin White here. Welcome to my table...

I know you're probably hearing about the Savvy Foodist everywhere and I'm grateful for that. Thanks to everyone who's been so supportive.

Food should be about celebration, exchanging ideas, helping each other remember what all of our parents knew instinctively: we protect and nourish those we love by feeding them the best we have to give.

The Savvy Foodist approach has to do with health and wealth. That means not wasting any of your resources and using food in a way that highlights all of the ingredients you have on hand in fresh and exciting ways. Instead of following the tradition that so many of us were raised in, that saw a large meat roast, the most expensive item at the grocery store, as the centerpiece of every meal; I take for my inspiration some of the most exciting models of food and feasting throughout history: Italian, Indian, Thai, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Italian, Mexican, Cajun, etc. In these cuisines food is not only used to nourish and heal the body: but meat is just one of many exciting and flavorful ingredients.

My credentials? For eight years I was a college professor at a few different Chicago Universities. I became a professor because of all of those nights I spent with friends in Chicago cafes while I was in school. I loved the exchange of ideas, the poetry slams, the excitement of talking about dreams, the spiritual discussions. I left the profession when I realized college teaching was the furthest thing from that. Colleges are too often places to hide from life. I wanted to live, love and celebrate life the way I had in those cool little cafes: not hide from it.

I grew up in the kitchen beside my mother and grandmother. Imagine if you will a six year old cleaning raw squid by standing on a chair to reach the sink! I've been cooking since I was old enough to reach the stove burners. I've also been trained in sustainable food practices by one of the top global sustainability experts, Dr. Paul McDowell.

My past experiences with food have taught me many things. They've taught me that life isn't about gray, flavorless leftovers. It's not about fast food or whether or not we can afford a $5 cup of coffee. Life is about diversity! It's about friends and family. It's about different cultures and different beliefs merging like the exotic spices in a curry. Life is about sitting round a table with a hot cup of tea or a cold bottle of beer and exchanging ideas and dreams with those we care about. This space in which we are living is very precious indeed: it has so many gifts to offer if only we make a simple shift in our approach to it: from "I can't..." to, "I can!"

Some people call what I'm doing sustainability. I call it Living a charmed life. This is the Savvy Foodist Philosophy. Life is Carnivale! Life is a Banquet! Life is Festa!

So, feast smart. And feast often.