By Karen Fernau
Arizona Republic

We're quickly becoming a nation of gourmets, drizzling white balsamic vinegar over roasted vegetables and stuffing Maytag blue cheese into organic-beef burgers.

We have gourmet sandwiches at Jack in the Box and celebrity-chef spaghetti sauce at Wal-Mart.

Never before have so many of us paid $9 for one fresh vanilla bean or $11 for a pound of truffle salt.

It's true. We see it more and more these days. Food Network, Internet sites, and the plethora of cooking and food magazines out there are really changing the way we're viewing food.