The foodie quiz is a fun little way to waste a couple minutes of the morning and maybe have a little laugh or two while you're at it because it is certainly not a serious quiz in any way. If it were serious, it is highly unlikely that one of the answers, right or wrong, would suggest that the correct solution to a minor restaurant dilemma is to "grab the waiter by his neck, shove him in a tiny crate, which you load into the hold of a plane bound for Auckland, while shouting: 'How would you like it, you animal abusing spawn of the devil?'"

The quiz is intended to test your knowledge of general foodie issues, kitchen trends and food movements. I scored 42 out of a possible 45 (the higher the score, the better), which apparently makes me a "gastro-warrior." Take the quiz and get back to us here in the comments to let us know how you fared!

Cooking is so popular that aprons are actually a good choice for a holiday gift this year. Aprons provide pockets where you can keep spoons, dish towels or even small containers of spices close at hand. They're also very convenient for wiping your hands and keeping everything, from cooking oil to flour, off your clothes.

On top of their practicality in the kitchen, they also come in many surprisingly appealing designs - no old-fashioned frills or lace to be see. At least, there isn't any to be seen on any of the aprons from Anthropologie. The flower shower apron ($28, above center-left) features a brilliant color-burst in red or green and is as funky as it is feminine. The utility half-apron ($28, above far-right) is more like a tool-belt than an apron, and an even better choice if something less traditional is what you're interested in.

It's not often that you see Dr. Joyce Brother's answer a question pertaining to food, but this seems like an issue that could be a problem for many foodies. No, it's not a 9 1/2 Weeks sort of thing. The question is about what to do when an adventurous eater is interested in someone who is not only picky and unadventurous ("the culinary tastes of a 6-year-old) in their eating habits, but is also entirely uninterested in changing.

Dr. Joyce said that the foodie is better off finding someone who can share her interest in food, since cooking and meals are not only important to her, but are a huge part of everyday life. It can be difficult to choose restaurants and menus when dining with friends if one or two people only ever want a cheeseburger and fries - imagine how much more frustrating that would be in a relationship when the issue comes up three times a day. Even if she could put aside her interests from time to time, it would only cause friction in the relationship as time went on.

It's sound advice. But the temptation must be there to try and convince the unwilling eater to expand his or her horizons. Has anyone succeeded in converting the PB&J devotee to something a little more exciting?

The Irish agriculture minister, Mary Coughlan, recently said that "consumers could be divided into 'fuelers,' who use food purely to satisfy hunger, and 'foodies,' who seek out the richest flavors and textures and most interesting and authentic products." This statement followed news that exotic and expensive foods, like Kobe beef and "organic beef goulash for babies" are rapidly gaining popularity in Ireland.

To be honest, I am a little insulted here. I don't like to think that food is so divisive and so black-and-white. Granted, there are people who care more than others, but you don't have to someone who only wants to eat incredibly expensive food, like the $150 Wagyu/foie gras sandwich at Selfridges, to enjoy eating. I don't know about you, but I can enjoy an ordinary burger any time I want to and still consider myself to be something other than a "fueler."

Perhaps Ms. Coughlan should look more carefully at the nuances of being a foodie and consider that a preference for foie gras is not the defining criterion.

MSN has posted a list of the top 10 cities for foodies, as determined by a travel site. The cities chosen are all over the globe, picked for a combination of unique dishes, celebrity chefs and all-around good cuisine. Barcelona, Brussels, Lyon and Rome were lauded for their long standing traditions, while Las Vegas and New York were included for having just about everything. While San Francisco did get a nod for its non-Asian cuisine, it seems to have been selected mainly on the availability of good Chinese food. Asian flavors are what put Tokyo, Vancouver and Hanoi on the list, too.

It appears that the definition of a foodie as someone who is willing (and possibly desperate) to eat anything has been put into play with this list, as along with Asian flair, Hanoi was picked for "unusual delicacies like dog or snake," including "fried snake skin, snake spring rolls, snake soup, and minced snake dumpling." Weird meats are all well and good, but to plan a whole trip around them seems a bit extreme.

Nevertheless, their list includes:

Now that we know all the foods we want to eat before we die, we should face a possibility far worse than death: a time when we would not be able to grocery shop. The post-apocalyptic foodie might have three arms, but our taste buds still have to be satisfied. The Hedonista has put together her list of items for a foodie's apocalypse kit, stocked with all of her foodie favorites in addition to the supplies recommend by FEMA. My favorite inclusion, though I do love Sarabeth's jams, is for vodka, bourbon or other hard liquors. Because "liquor is endlessly useful in hard times."

Just to be on the safe side, I'm going to stick a package of Twinkies in mine, since there's a good chance that they might still be edible no matter what the future has in store.

[via the Food Section]

Hungry is a new online food magazine written by four guys who are foodies. Not in the sometimes-elitist sense that we don't really approve of here at Slashfood, but the sense that they love good food and everything associated with it - even if it comes from a fast food joint. In other words, they’re our kind of guys. Though still in a relatively early stage, Hungry is off to a great start, with interesting chef interviews, available as podcasts, and other articles. Some of the features include food history, recipes and events. The magazine is based in Chicago, so though they have covered the likes of the McArabia Sandwich, much of the coverage will be based in the greater Chicago area. We look forward to seeing more from Hungry in the future.