During winter, the windows of the various prominent NY department stores are an annual treat for many. People travel in from all over just to have a peek at the elaborate and flamboyant artistry that goes into creating a world and mood in a relatively small space. As a New Yorker, it's easy to take the windows for granted and speed walk past them as tourists stroll at a snail pace ooh-ing and ahh-ing.

<p style="text-align:center;"><img class="aligncenter" style="border:0 none;" src="http://www.remain-silent.com/cm/Stylistsphotogs/Barneys-womenchefs.jpg" alt="Barneys foodie holiday windows" width="450" height="348" /><font size="1">the female chef's and personalities of the foodnetwork</p></font>

This year however, I will have to make an exception as Barney's windows commemorate a foodie holiday! I'm not going to lie the term 'foodie' sometimes makes me cringe, in large part due to the fact that I  hear so many throwing it around, 'Oh, i'm a foodie' or 'he knows where to eat as he IS a foodie'. Pfft. Whatev's. My favourite foodie is Tracy Jordan in 30 Rock, ( as we discovered in the <a href="http://www.eatmedaily.com/2009/10/cheesy-blasters-on-30-rock/">opening of season four </a>), because he looks like he'd eat just about anything, like deep fried turtle toes on a bun. Sheesh.

But I digress - the foodie culture isn't all bad. People forming a snobbery about where the food comes from and how it is made, looking for ethical and healthy choices IS a good thing...just read the ingredient listing of most items in your supermarket - it can be scary. Doing your own cooking IS a good thing - controlling the content of salts, sugar, chemicals in your dish  not to mention how relxaxing and therapeutic it can be.

<p style="text-align:center;"><img class="aligncenter" style="border:0 none;" src="http://www.remain-silent.com/cm/Stylistsphotogs/Barneys-malechefs.jpg" alt="barneys foodie holiday windows" width="450" height="338" /><font size="1">the male chef's and personalities of the foodnetwork</p></font>

Barney's nod to the growing 'foodie' culture is of course, nothing short of glamorous...dah-ling! Many popular tv  chef's and personalities are honoured, Paul Dean, Martha Stewart, Mario Batali, Guy Fieri, Anthony Bourdain and more.

<p style="text-align:center;"><img class="aligncenter" style="border:0 none;" src="http://www.remain-silent.com/cm/Stylistsphotogs/Barneys-illydress.jpg" alt="barneys foodie holiday" width="450" height="337" />
<font size="1">how cool is this illy ballgown??</p></font>

Other windows make creative use of food packaging...I especially love the rather wonderful Illy coffee ballgown! So I will be toddling over to Barneys for a closer inspection before it get's too cold!

{ thanks to liz for the heads up! }

<p style="text-align:right;"><font size="1">
<em>images via <a href="http://www.zagat.com">zagat</a>, <a href="http://habituallychic.blogspot.com">habitually chic</a></em></font></p>