10 Ways to Pretend You're a Foodie

This is the latest installment of Foodie Underground.

The scene is starting to feel familiar. You're eating a dessert out of a mason jar and you have spent the last fifteen minutes listening to a conversation about the merits of mezcal in cocktails. "I just really can't stand the taste. Put a drink in front of me and I can definitely tell you if it has it in it or not," you overhear and you internally swear for not having a good comeback.

A comeback that was just a little more... in-the-know.

Really you just want to throw your cucumber and ginger-infused cocktail in that person's face, but then again, the meal was good, and if you play your cards right, you can probably get someone else to pay for it. Wait for it... "I just love treating my friends to good food," says another table-mate. You're finally in the clear.

As much as you cringe at the word "foodie" - and don't we all? - there are moments that it's worth pretending you're one: getting your meal paid for, scoring a date with someone that knows how to cook well, getting directions to a new restaurant scribbled on a napkin, finding someone to solve your dilemma of what to make with your leftover greens.

Read all 20 quick fixes to pretend you're a foodie at EcoSalon.

Editor's note: This is the latest installment of Anna Brones's weekly column at EcoSalon, Foodie Underground, discovering what's new and different in the underground food movement, from supper clubs to mini markets to the culinary avant garde.