Redefining the Term 'Gourmet'

Though for some the term "gourmet" may still conjure images of pristine white tablecloths, swanky silver platters and Michelin-starred dining, this interpretation has been stripped of its highfalutin' connotations in recent decades.

The term is linked to Gourmet magazine -- an iconic publication that Condé Nast debatably considered outdated when it shut down operations in October 2009. According to the New York Times, the magazine after its inception in 1941 "thrived on a rush of postwar aspiration and became a touchstone for readers who wanted lives filled with dinner parties, reservations at important restaurants and exotic but comfortable travel."

Aspirational it may have been, but the magazine also sparked interest in home cooking beyond the Betty Crocker-inspired casual casseroles, and brought "gourmet" into the home, achievable by care paid to quality ingredients and careful cooking by the homemaker. How could a focus on seasonal produce and cooking one's own meals be considered elite?

With the increasing popularity of the Food Network and culinary shows like Bravo's Top Chef, the homemaker's act of cooking has been brought into the limelight as an art, worthy of serious undertaking. Home chefs learned the techniques and tricks of the professionals.

Finally, as ABC News reported, fast-food chains have jumped on the bandwagon. McDonald's attempted to transform their reputation from "McMuffins to McLattes" in order to dip their fingers in a more "gourmet" market, starting with expanded drink options and upgraded restaurants. The popularity and transformation of the term "gourmet" is also apparent in a shift to making casual items upscale, as evidenced by a proliferation of swanky, high-priced fast-food representations, from the short ribs, foie gras and truffle burger of Daniel Boulud's DB Bistro Moderne (dubbed by CNN "the most expensive junk food"), to Mario Batali's swanky pizza joint, Pizzeria Mozza.

As quality ingredients become more readily available and affordable and the shift toward cooking at home continues, the term "gourmet" may have finally shaken its once-snobby connotation. The Food Lover's Dictionary's definition of the adjective still seems to hold true: Gourmet food is quite plainly "that which is of the highest quality, perfectly prepared and artfully presented."

Culinary expert -- and true gourmand in all senses -- James Beard has a precocious view on the term: "There is absolutely no substitute for the best. Good food cannot be made of inferior ingredients masked with high flavor. It is true thrift to use the best ingredients available and to waste nothing."