Unofficial Chowhounder survey: Who are you?

[durianbreath]

Hi guys,

I've used Chowhound for many years now, and am curious to know the basics about my fellow users to get a sense of where they are coming from. Feel free to answer as much or as little as you like. And feel free to add optional fields. This info is for the sheer purpose of attempting to satisfy my curiosity -- and yours, too, perhaps.

Thank you!

-durianbreath

###########################################################################

AGE
(a number, but nothing but!)

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD

CURRENT CITY
(and former cities, if you feel so inclined. you can take the girl out of new york...)

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
(and if you are in the middle of a career changeover, spill the baked beans!)

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
(if you want to go there. this can be a question of ethnicity, or somewhere you lived, or just the food you find you relate most to.)

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
(what do your food friends ask you for advice about? what gets you all nerdy inside? do you have a collection of books on medieval cooking that has overtaken your living room, bedroom, bathtub?)

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
(Food-wise or otherwise. This is super-duper optional, but I had to leave room for oversharing!)

[mucho gordo]

Age: 74
Yrs on Board: 5
Current City: Las Vegas
Prof: Retired from various careers
Background: Father and 4 grandparents born in Russia. Mother born in New Haven. I was raised in Hamden, CT
Specialty: just enjoy good, hearty (not necessarily healthy) meals.
Fun fact: Known as "Puzlmakr), I create a variety of word and number puzzles.

[PHREDDY]

Do you know where in Russia? and what year did they immigrate?

[foodieX2]

AGE
51

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
since 2004? 2006? not sure

CURRENT CITY
South of Boston

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
retail/finance

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
porteugese, english, german. basically a mutt

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
being able to throw a great party. Being able to make a great meal out whatever I have on hand.

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
I have toured the Mount Gay Factory so many times they know me by name.I no longer have to take the tour to hang out and drink rum.

[Fowler]

If the Mount Gay factory has a Hall of Shame, I would imagine my photograph hangs on the wall.

[Candy]

This is interesting. I'd love to know more about fellow hounds.

[Candy]

64

11/12 I remember Jim Leff and of course Sam Fugisaka. I really miss him.

Bloomington, IN. My DH decided to do just 1 more degree. Said 18 mos. tops. That was in '81. He just retired from IU.
We'll be heading back (for me) to Savannah, GA soon.

Retired but available on call. Retail Sales management. Tabletop, Kitchen, general homestore. I was a Home Ec Ed major and just fell into the job. I did work for Kroger in a store as a Home Economist available to the customers for questions on cooking and about anything else food related. I was also a Realtor for 15 years. Glad I got out of that when I did.

Mostly English but have a bit of French-German from my fathers side. I was an Air Force brat. Born in Douglas, Az.( my mothers family homesteaded ranches there pre-state hood. hey had moved from Alabama, Tennessee etc. after the war. So my comfort food is pretty southern. Lived over 5 yrs in Japan, then Waco, TX, Albany Ga, Savannah, Ga and Plattsburgh, NY.

I get lots of questions from a lot of people. I also test recipes for cookbooks. My current focus is Vietnamese and Middle Eastern but I am pretty well rounded in many cuisines.

Having been in the tabletop business I am a total junkie for the stuff. I change dinnerware seasonally, and with the occasion, I have more silver than is decent ditto glassware.
Just started collecting Royal Crown Derby Panel Green over a year ago. I don't know when I'll stop.

[KaimukiMan]

. oops mistake

[jlhinwa]

AGE
Half a century....sounds so old!

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
About 2-1/2 years

CURRENT CITY
(and former cities, if you feel so inclined. you can take the girl out of new york...)
Federal Way, WA - suburb of Seattle. Have lived within a 10-mile radius my entire life

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
Co-owner of property management company--I run the operations (aka, pay bills, manage staff, collect rents, etc. Oh-so-glamorous.)

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Scandinavian - Dad emigrated from Norway; I grew up with a lot of bland meat, boiled potatoes & boiled vegetables kind of meals. When I moved out of the house and started buying and cooking my own meals, I rebelled and went all out for flavor and heat. Sadly, I don't tolerate heat so well anymore but I still love it.

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
I'm the one who seems to host big meals/get-togethers...partly because my house is large enough to accommodate a crowd, partly because I really enjoy it, and also because I don't get stressed by entertaining as much as others in our circle of friends/family do. I'm also known for not being afraid to experiment on company--mostly with good results. :-)

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
I was a super-picky eater growing up and into my 20's and 30's (see above about bland, boring childhood diet). I finally got over my aversion to many foods by doing what I expected my kid to do--trying something just once. Only for me, it meant trying many things again as if I never tried them and hated them as a child. What a revelation...so many things I didn't eat for decades that I now love. And even the things I don't love, I can tolerate without letting on.

[juliejulez]

AGE
30

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
I'm not sure? I joined awhile back but I've only been actively participating since maybe the end of summer/early fall 2012.

CURRENT CITY
Currently, Outskirts of Brighton, CO. Almost out of the city limits. NE of Denver.
Before CO, lived in Clovis, CA, before that, I spent 7 years in Chicago proper. Before that, Fresno, CA, grew up in Visalia, CA.

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
Currently an Executive Assistant for the President of a real estate investment company/brokerage. I've been in real estate in various capacities since 2001. I also have had a few jobs relating to interior design/architecture, as that is what I went to school for. Oh, and a short stint in a wine shop :)

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Umm... pretty generic white background. Mostly Irish heritage, some german. Grew up in a blue-ish collar family.

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
I'd like to think I'm good at figuring out great healthy (for me) weeknight meals on a budget. My job is pretty boring so I spend a lot of time researching recipes, and I very rarely make the same dinner twice. I also like to explore new cuisines. Oh, and I'm fascinated with meat and butchery. Hope to be able to take a course in it someday.

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
Ummm... SO and I have a dog, a 8 year old basset hound named Deacon. He was SO's dog, but I moved in so I'm very attached to him now. He is not a foodie as he is happy with his dry dog food, although he appreciates anything that falls on the floor while I cook.

[Iowaboy3]

AGE
Vintage 1961, a great year for Bordeaux.

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
A couple of years.

CURRENT CITY
Des Moines (don't ask why)

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
Retail Wine Guy. I've been at it for 20 years. I've also bartended & done imported beer distribution. I've lived and worked in 9 different countries including Israel, France, Australia, Thailand & Honduras.

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Born in Detroit. Mom was an average cook but fed us varied, well rounded meals including salad most every day. Dad could put a turkey in the oven and forget to turn it on.

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
Good ribs, good hummus, salsa's & hot sauces.

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
I picked the 1991 grape harvest in the Barossa Valley in South Australia.

[Bobfrmia]

"Des Moines (don't ask why)".
Why?

[porker]

Just curious about the "why":
Why Des Moines? or Why (don't ask why)?

[Bobfrmia]

Either.

[MamaCrunch]

AGE
26

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
Years and years! I rarely post but I lurk everyday especially during bouts of insomnia.

CURRENT CITY
Nashville

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
Doula, placenta encapsulation, cloth diapering/baby wearing educator, and student midwife-- yes, it's a mouthful.

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
I'm from planet Earth,

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
I'm obsessed with cast iron

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
I'm a vegetarian because randomly one day over a year ago I woke up and the idea of eating meat didn't sound appetizing. Haven't had any since.

[mrsbuffer]

AGE
54

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
5?

CURRENT CITY
mentor, oh

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
assistant manager at a retirement community

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Italian & Irish, native New Yorker (ok, the burbs, but still close enough to work there)

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
Italian food, comfort food

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
I once made pizza that rose so much it looked like a calzone. Plus I just bought the entire 13 volume collection of the Encyclopedia of Cooking off eBay for $13.00

[lamb_da_calculus]

Age: 21

City: Chicago

Profession: Currently a third-year math major undergrad (hence my name), hoping to do a math Ph.D after I graduate

Fun fact: All facts about me are sober and serious

[MrsKitteh]

AGE: 28
MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD: long time lurker, recent poster.
CURRENT CITY: Wellington, New Zealand
PROFESSION: Geologist
CULTURAL BACKGROUND: European mutt (Hungarian/Austrian/Romanian/English)
CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALITY: bread. I make fantastic bread.
FUN FACT ABOUT YOU: none that I'm revealing here ;-)

[subal]

Age: 74

On this Board: Guess about 3-4 years

Current City; Anaheim, CA, before that - Pittsburgh, PA

Field of Work: Retired manufacturing executive

Cultural Background:plain old white bread

Chowhounder Specialty: Cooking it first; then eating it! BBQ smoking, potato pan cakes.

Fun Fact: Wife and I are amateur under water photographers. See: http://vimeo.com/56230819 We're the blond & guy in blue head band at end!

[Gio]

I don't say, "Wow" very often, subal, but that video was absolutely Wonderful... WOW! Gorgeous.

Many thanks for giving us the link. I even liked the soundtrack...

[RUK]

I do agree! I just watched and I truly loved it!

[JoanN]

Wonderful video, subal, but I want that still of the gray angel. Great shot!

[subal]

JoanN:
Send me an address!

[JoanN]

I have my e-mail address posted on my profile page. Could you send me a note?

[PHREDDY]

AGE 58

MONTHS / YEARS ON THIS BOARD

About 3 years

CURRENT CITY
Born and raised in New York City, currrently in one of the outer broughs called Queens. Lived in Shrewsbury Mass for 2 years during a project for UPS.

PROFESSION / FIELD OF WORK
LICENSED PLUMBING CONTRACTOR...started working in the industry at 17 as a summer job. After graduation with a Master's degree in economics, I could not find a job (back in the mid 70's)I found employment in the plumbing industry. Went to work for my company in 1978, ended up owning it and sold out in 2003.

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
My four grandparents were born in the Ukraine, all within 50 miles of eachother. They were raised , met, married and propagated here in NYC. I visited their towns in the Ukraine 3 years ago. Food growing up was kosher Askanazi....except on Sunday nights of either pizza or Chinese food.

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
Soups and breakfast

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
Two that I would like to share....For real...I am a plumber, my office is in Flushing NY....(near the US Tennis Center)
About 15 years ago and good friend of mine and myself decided to take some hands on and some demonstration type cooking classes.We became real cooking buds, so on a dare we decided to masquarade as students for one day at the Culinary Institute in Hyde Park , NY....this was pre 9/11 , and we had a great time and did not get caught!

[NE_Wombat]

AGE: 50

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD: a couple, lurked before that

CURRENT CITY: Natick, MA - suburban Boston

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK: Software Engineer, BI Consultant. Former Chef/Owner.

CULTURAL BACKGROUND: Raised in suburban Chicago. Mainstream mid-west mother, Cajun Louisiana father.

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY: Frequent "go to guy" to cook for groups. Wife and I support various causes, she works the phones and knocks on doors, I contribute by cooking for the volunteers.

[davis_sq_pro]

AGE
35

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
Lurked for about a year before posting the first time on January 9, 2007. Have participated in over 600 threads. (Clearly in need of a life.)

CURRENT CITY
Melrose, MA. (Prior to that, Somerville, MA. My name is based on living in an area of Somerville called Davis Square. Oh how I miss it.)

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
Database development, especially using Microsoft SQL Server

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Jewish, in a not very observant manner. A nice bowl of matzoh ball soup before devouring a BLT? Why not.

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
Spirits, cocktails, and whatever my cooking obsession happens to be at any given time. Lately I've been baking a lot of pizzas, trying to tune my system and figure out how to make a pie that approximates my idea of perfection. Not quite there. Yet.

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
I'm regularly asked for restaurant recommendations, but truth be told I don't eat out nearly as often as I'd like to, and when someone asks me where to eat I usually come to Chowhound, search around a bit, compile a list, and send it over. Certain friends think I'm a restaurant expert; nah, I just know how to use a search engine!

[KaimukiMan]

Looks like a better list than whats on the profile list now.

AGE
mid 50's

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
since around y2k + (i think, kinda sorta)

CURRENT CITY
Honolulu for the past 30+ years

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
Architect, mostly residential, some commercial and government work.

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
4th generation Californian transplanted to Hawaii.
Lots of intermarriage in my family history, most of Europe is in there somewhere, mostly northern and the British Isles

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
Where to go eat in Honolulu.

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
Too numerous to list. I'm a fun guy.

[hyacinthgirl]

AGE
34

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
5ish

CURRENT CITY
Harrisburg, PA (but a recent transplant from LA)

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
Can't seem to escape non-profits these days

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Eastern European Jewish kugel eating on my mother's side, kielbasa and stuffed cabbage Polish on my fathers's side.

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
My friends use me as their personal event planner, which generally means choosing the right place with the right food for the right crowd and/or designing the best possible menu for an occasion.

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
I find it fundamentally impossible to not serve twice as much food as is needed for any occasion I'm hosting.

That, or, Wolfgang Puck once cutely made fun of my friend and I in an elevator in Las Vegas. When we got out, I turned to my friend and said "do you know who that was?" and she said "That Puck guy! I recognized him from the soup cans!"

[pagesinthesun]

AGE
39 (for real...40 here I come!)

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
Quite a few years as a reference. Less than a year as a poster

CURRENT CITY
Phoenix, AZ Which is why many of my posts are off season, although very cold here today!

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
RN

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Grew up in TX with family in NM and Lousianna

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
I've read cookbooks cover to cover for more than 20 years. I love to cook for my friends and family. I have no specialty. I've been a member of my CSA for 10 years!!

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
I cooked in a nursing home kitchen when I was a teenager. I moved into patient care at 17 and the rest is history.h

[AmyH]

AGE
49 (really!)

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
I think since 2006

CURRENT CITY
Albany NY but previously Charleston SC, Baltimore and Pittsburgh

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
director of a clinical transplant laboratory in a hospital

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
eastern european jewish by birth, Bolivian by adoption (of my kids)

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
When I go to meetings, my colleagues depend on me to find a good restaurant wherever we are. Chowhound is a great help for that. I also read and respond to a lot of posts about pressure cooking. I once shared a Bolivian recipe with Sam Fujisaka that I know he was really happy to get, but I don't think he got to try it before he passed away.

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
I love making people happy by cooking special meals for them.

[tcamp]

AGE
51

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
3 or 4 years.

CURRENT CITY
Alexandria, VA, a DC 'burb. Grew up in SF and LA.

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
IT consulting project manager.

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Mom: American mongrel. Dad: European/jewish via Japan.

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
Home cooking, especially quick meals for weeknight dining and creative use of leftovers.

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
I took up singing a few years ago and now sing with a choral group. I love it!

[plasticanimal]

AGE
almost 38

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
2 years.

CURRENT CITY
Toronto, grew up just outside in the 'burbs.

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
Gardener, comedian, musician.

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
My parents were born in Europe, but they didn't like it very much. They fully embraced being Canadian, so that's my cultural background. So, pizza, burgers, curry and jerk.

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
Stretching a buck in Toronto. Absurd food pairings. Not baking. Not wine. Beer. And spices.

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
I have hundreds of bonsai trees.

[wyogal]

Age: 54
Not sure how long on the board, a couple of years, but took a break and am recently back.

Current city: somewhere in Wyo.

Work: musician, had been a public school music teacher, now substitute (not music) occasionally, but mostly work as a musician, doing enrichment in elementary classrooms. I use music to make other curriculum connections.

Cultural Background: Scandinavian heritage, originally from ND

Specialty: I did a series of classes combining music and food, there is a thread somewhere here, not many here were very interested. My classes were a great success, though! I love to cook, and am enjoying the 14 pieces (yes, 14) of Staub cookware that my brother gave me for Christmas!

Fun fact: while visiting a boyfriend in the late 70's in Canada, Queen Elizabeth was in their town, drove through in a white convertible. I was quite excited when she went by, squealed, and she flinched. Yep, I made the Queen of England flinch. ha! I also quit my job as a teacher, went to cooking school.

[porker]

AGE: 47

YEARS ON THIS BOARD: 4

CURRENT CITY: Native community in Quebec

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK: Tech writer, restaurant owner, engineering grad, restaurant owner, factory owner, bridge engineer...pretty much in that order...

CULTURAL BACKGROUND: Native American (Mohawk)

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY: I like throwing parties.
In a previous job, I'd plan out and cater events for upwards of 300 people. Today, a whole hog or crawfish boil for 40 people is pretty much worry free...

FUN FACTs ABOUT YOU: I ran with the bulls in Pamplona on a whim since my best friend read Hemmingway as a kid.
I had a near-death experience cave diving in the Yucatan (OK, maybe not a "fun" fact, but perhaps interesting?).
Mrs. porker and I eloped in the South Pacific to escape the possibility of an out-of-control family-run wedding.
Rented a car in Mexico with a faked drivers license (this was before cave diving...)

Note: my local chowhound anonymity is now blown to hell (its a small town...).

[Veggo]

Porker, would you e-mail me with details about your cave diving experience in the Yucatan? Thanks. It seems you and I travel to many of the same destinations.
Veggo

[lisavf]

AGE: 50

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD: At least 7

CURRENT CITY: Northeastern Pennsylvania but dreaming of other destinations... wish list includes Philadelphia, DC, and Paris.

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK: Freelance certified realtime stenographic court reporter and court reporting agency owner

CULTURAL BACKGROUND: Slovak and Sicilian

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY: Finding chow-worthy restaurants wherever I travel. Most recent compliment was, last-minute traveling companions were invited to join a bunch of us at a restaurant and equivocated until they heard that I had chosen the restaurant - then they said they'd hurry right over!

I log on to Chowhound nearly every day, and I always learn something new and interesting.

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU: I am certified to capture the spoken word (plus speaker identifications, punctuation, formatting, and some nonverbal actions) on my steno machine at 240 words per minute.

[vanderb]

AGE
40(ish)

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
Around 5 years

CURRENT CITY
Brno, Czech Republic, previously Bangalore, India, Calgary, Canada and many, many places in between.

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
I've had many jobs in many different areas over the years; including a couple of years working every position possible in restaurants... but now I'm a Director of IT.

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Born in Canada (English/Italian parentage but brought up in a seriously well blended pan-European family leaning too heavily on the WASP end), raised in Canada, the UK and briefly Nigeria. I have a deep seated passion for travel, food and change.

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
I try to learn as much as possible about my current dining/eating environment to be able to contribute on the regional/International boards for those visiting the area I'm living in.

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
I once ate breakfast in Malibu, CA at the table next to a young Arnold Swartzeneger; it was a horrible site watching him eat and changed my idea of table manners for the rest of my life. (Sorry Arnold but it's true)

[JerryMe]

Age - Old Enough

Years on Board - Since '10?

Profession - Mostly construction - everything from laborer to the upper ends of Fortune 500, suits, etc

Cultural Background - Born and raised in the very rural area of USA that constitutes raising your own food and hunting to eat.

Specialty?? Hmmm, I would say that other people say that I'm a pretty good cook. Spent 5+ years in the restaurant business and I would go to bed at night and pray for another line of work. I know the deep, dark, back side and being so over worked that you could sleep standing up, smelling like oil and have absolutely no appetite for food.

Fun Fact - I usually get on Chow (daily) for inspiration but rarely share as I don't think I have much to offer but it's one of my favorite places to hang out.

[pinehurst]

AGE
42

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
I dunno? three?

CURRENT CITY
Boston

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
I teach college English

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Southern Italian (Naples/Carinola), Quebecois, Arcadian and Russian Jewish.

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
Of late, learning 'bout low carb; simple home cooking; feeding the doggies we love

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
I have a big, sentimental, nostalgic heart. That, and I am a pretty decent golfer. Also, I can't swim though during my childhood we spent two weeks every summer at the beach.

[Veggo]

Hvve you played #3 at Pinehurst?

[pinehurst]

Indeed, sir. Have played 'em all but No. 6. Three is comparatively user friendly...shorter, at least.

[INDIANRIVERFL]

AGE 58

TIME ON BOARD About 5.

CITY Melbourne Florida with at least 2 months in Milwaukee every year.

PROFESSION Landlord/boat bum.

CULTURAL BACKGROUND Caucasian upper class originally from Chicago and Pittsburgh. Slight German influence from one grandfather. Parents loved to travel and try local foods. Had visited over 30 states as well as multiple trips to Canada and a brief trip to Tijuana before I was 16.

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY Introducing non foodies to exotic dishes. Searching for old regional and national cook books. Once having a home bar that could produce almost any drink in the Playboy Bartenders Guide.

FUN FACT Living on a boat, I still love seafood. I butcher pigs for fun. I enjoy dropping in on old friends with no warning. The last couple I hadn't seen in 31 years. Only 400 miles out of my way.

[mackhound]

AGE: 43

YEARS ON BOARD: Since 2001, on and off

CURRENT CITY: Los Angeles, then and now

PROFESSIONAL FIELD OF WORK: law

CULTURAL BACKGROUND: San Fernando Valley (need I say more)

CHOWHOUDER SPECIALTY: Here's a contradiction. I happen to make the best steaks on the planet, seared to perfection in well-aged cast iron. But my life's work is to learn my Bengali mother-in-law's home cooking recipes. She happens to be the best cook I have ever met or even imagined could exist. I am also pretty serious about espresso, and have a real-life southern pit bbq in the yard.

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU: Back in the day, or more specifically in the first year of "Cook's Tour," during a lively debate on this site about Tony Bourdain, I chimed in by condescendingly referring to him as "Food Rambo." The next day, Bourdain himself responded to my obnoxious remark with the most self-effacing reply that I've been a loyal following ever since.

[cacruden]

The learning from your mother-in-law's cooking sounds fun. I wonder if she is similar to here where if you ask them .... they could not tell you how to make it.... but making it is just automatic. I have found that sometimes after convincing someone to teach me that having a jewellers' scale and little bowls sometimes helps since they can put equivalent amounts into bowls that they put in then I can go back and weigh them and convert into whatever measurement I would like (g -> tsp, etc.; although I find fractions of grams to be a better -- prefer mass based cooking recipes - not volume).

[LindaWhit]

I love that fun fact about you, mackhound. :-)

[janetofreno]

Age: 58, but I feel younger:-)

Years on the Board: I'm not really sure, to be honest. Maybe 10? Probably a little more.....12, maybe?

Current City: Las Vegas. But only for a week longer. Packing to move back to the city named in my handle...Let's just call me a Nevada girl.

Profession/Field of Work: Optometrist

Cultural Background: By parentage, part Jewish, part WASP. By Marriage: Hindu/East Indian. By inclination: Mexican.

Chowhounder Specialty: My work friends are always amazed that I seem to know good "local" places when we travel to conferences. They think I'm especially talented in this area. I haven't told my secret:-)

Fun Fact About Me: Shortly after I discovered Chowhound (I did so when searching online for a good restaurant in Seattle:-) I was reading a post on one of the boards when I thought to myself "That writing style sounds very familiar to me; I wonder if I know the poster" So I looked at the profile of the writer; It was my identical twin sister. She's still on the board too! :-)

[tcamp]

For some idiotic reason, I have been confusing Janetinrichmond with Janetofreno for a long time. Glad to have solid differentiators!

[latte4me]

AGE
Mid-40s

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
A while, but I lurk more than I post, I admit.

CURRENT CITY
The cooler Twin City, St. Paul, MN

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
Financial services

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
West Coast native of a Southern family who migrated to Arizona, which means that we used to eat Mexican food on Christmas Eve. Oh, and I like okra.

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
Random food cravings, "Do you know where I can find...?"

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
I'm an award-winning baker.

[Teague]

AGE: 44

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD: around 10, a couple different sign-in names or periods of lurking

CURRENT CITY: Kansas City

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK: Law, ugh, for over a decade. Currently working hard to figure out some other and more pleasant way to make not much of a living however.

CULTURAL BACKGROUND: half norwegian (3rd gen) and half American mutt, english/german/swede/irish/etc.

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY: generalized foodie, I like to make stew of all kinds from all cuisines, it's interesting. Like old cookbooks. Not a baker really but I make good fruitcake.

FUN FACT: Love my little yippy dog Frodo - see, that tells you all kinds of things about me :)

[Vetter]

AGE: 32

YEARS ON THIS BOARD: not sure, maybe 5?

CURRENT CITY: NW Pacific NW. It's gorgeous!

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK: legal

CULTURAL BACKGROUND: Northern European Mutt

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY: I don't do recipes, I do techniques. I take my time and do it right. Definitely a slow food girl. Friends often ask what I'm doing and why. Foodways matter to me. Going gluten free opened a whole new world of food to me.

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU: I resorted to Ex-Lax brownies once. I made them, left them out in the communal kitchen, locked up every iota of disposable paper product in the house and left for the weekend. Roommate problem SOLVED.

[CocoaChanel]

AGE

39.. okay okay okay, 39 + 4 *sigh* (still 28 in my head)

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD

about 2 years

CURRENT CITY

Current: Toronto, (also, feeling like Boston is a second home these days, given how much time I have been spending there)

Past: New York (UWS - still miss it!), London (UK and Canada)

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK

Finance rat race

CULTURAL BACKGROUND

Decidedly Canadian; though fully absorbed into Scandinavian culture (Mr. Vuitton, my husband, is Scandi background)

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY

Baking (come by it honestly - family profession)

Moroccan cuisine (which I love!)

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU

I still hold a license as a legalized drug dealer!!

(I was a pharmacist - get yer minds out of the gutter! ;P)

[Chinon00]

- age: 43
- months/years on board: 6 years?
- current city: Philadelphia (w/ significant time in Boston)
- profession/field of work: engineer/ pharmaceutical design & construction
- cultural background: African American
- chowhounder specialty: Beer and wine. I spend most of my chowtime at my favorite brewpubs or discovering new ones.

[absurdnerdbird]

AGE
56

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
About 5

CURRENT CITY
Houston
NYC
Melbourne, Australia
LA
Philly

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
Software developer

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Philly native, upstate PA Polish coal miners on my mother's side

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
Cheap ethnic holes in the wall, doing all the cooking at home

[fickle]

AGE
42

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
10 to 12 years?

CURRENT CITY
Toronto

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Canadian born Chinese

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
Been taking pictures of my food long before it was trendy to do so. Started 25 years ago when I was traveling as a way to remember where we had gone and what we had. Much easier to do the trip food show and tell back home with visuals! 98% of my pictures now are still of food.

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
Will travel for food. Known to drive from Toronto to Rochester just for lunch (540 kms/336 miles roundtrip) and have detoured to Kansas City enroute to San Francisco from Toronto just to get my BBQ fix in (4 places in 24 hrs). Yes, Toronto is sadly lacking in decent BBQ.

[DiningDiva]

AGE: is a state of mind but chronologically I clock in at 59

ON BOARD: At least 10 years maybe longer

CURRENT CITY; San Diego (born and raised) but I spent 25 years migrating up the coast (LA, Ventura, Marin County) before returning home

PROFESSIONAL FIELD; 35+ years in non-commerical food service management, mostly colleges & universities. Currently Director of Food Service for the 5th largest community college system in the U.S.

CULTURAL BACKGROUND: My spirit says Mexican, my DNA says German/Irish

CHOWHOUND SPECIALTY; Mexican, and occassionally arguing the other side of a discussion just to remind everyone there is usually more than only one position in a discussion

FUN FACT: I bred and showed pedigree Maine Coons cats for 18 years, I do astrology in my spare time, I seriously collect Mexican folk art, before there were cats there were horses and one day at a horse show I was totally not paying attention and walked straight into Paul Newman

[pinehurst]

SQUEALLL to your last fun fact. Actually squeal, swoon and frantic attempt at composure.

[juliejulez]

DiningDiva, my mother (and her 4 sisters of various ages) was born and raised in San Diego, she's 62 :) You didn't, by chance, attend Our Lady of Peace Academy did you? Because that would be crazy!

[FoodChic]

Age: 44

Years on board: At least 10

Current City: DFW

Profession: Legal

Cutural Background: Irish girl that's a Montana native

Chowhounder Speciality: For my friends, family, and co-workers, I'm the "go to" person for all things New Orleans and Louisiana. I collect Louisiana cookbooks, and always have an itineraries planned in advance for our next three NOLA, trips.

Fun Fact: I'm almost always able to convince people to try something outside of their culinary comfort zone. I love introducing people to something new that they learn to love.

[SarachkaInBrooklyn]

AGE
22

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
6 months as a poster, about a year and a half as a lurker before that...

CURRENT CITY
Currently living in Brooklyn, but born in Tokyo. I have lived all over, but if pressed I'd probably say I "grew up" in Wisconsin...and I MISS DEEP FRIED CHEESE CURDS.

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
Currently making jewelry in a local studio (mostly wax carving/casting, hand forging), but will probably go back to being a student soon, studying more jewelry techniques.

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Half Japanese, half Irish-American. I can eat you under the table in natto. I haven't had much exposure to Irish food...

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
My Russian boyfriend's favorite cake is Russian-style Napoleon. For his birthday I make him the cake (all of the dough for the layers, rolled out, baked, and everything) from scratch. It usually takes me the better part of a day. The first time I made it, his mother thought I was crazy. Apparently, most Russians just buy the cake since no one wants to bother with the layers (usually around 15 to 16).

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
Although there is almost nothing (of the food variety) I refuse to eat, there are some foods I won't seek out. All my life I thought I disliked beets. When I started dating my boyfriend, I could never escape beets. They were everywhere, in so many dishes, since his family is very, VERY Russian. One day, I think I was eating beet salad with prunes, nuts, and mayo, but I discovered that I LOVE beets. Now I buy beets at the store almost every time I go, and will prepare myself a bowl of beets in all sorts of preparations, and eat it all by myself. My boyfriend thinks it's bizarre.

[Gio]

AGE: Not 39

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD: 7-ish. Lurked for a few years before that.

CURRENT CITY: Melrose MA.

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK: Fine Art. I'm a fiber artist. Was a Public School Art Supervisor. Was a Director of Religious Ed. for a large parish. Was a manager of a smallish national import and development company. I seem to reinvent myself every ten years or so...

CULTURAL BACKGROUND: Both parents were Italian though my father and his siblings were born in MA. Both parents were very good cooks as were their siblings, and my brother was as well. All extremely interested in The Arts.

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY: I have no idea. I love to cook and read about places, both here and abroad, to which I can no longer travel. My friends have absolutely no interest in the food I cook, but they do like to eat it.

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU: Dizzy Gillespie kissed me on my left cheek after a concert at a jazz club in MA. While in high school also studied classical piano at Boston University.

[LindaWhit]

Just down the road from me. The Route 93 road, that is. :-)

[Gio]

I thought so, Linda. Probably closer than I think...

[pinehurst]

HUGE branch of my fam originally from Mt. Vernon Ave! Go Red Raiders!

[Gio]

HI Ho Pinehurst... I kinda thought you'd pipe up!

[Bacchus101]

AGE
49 or was I born in 49??

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD 3

CURRENT CITY
Philadelphia, San Francisco, Raleigh, Valley Forge,PA (city?)

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
Pharmaceuticals

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Pennsylvania German/English

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
Restaurant suggestions, with an interesting collection
of cook books.

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
Love meats, ice cream, horses,classic cars and movies and married a lady that dislikes all the above. It is a great marriage, go figure!

[goodhealthgourmet]

Love meats, ice cream, horses,classic cars and movies and married a lady that dislikes all the above. It is a great marriage, go figure!
~~~~~~~~~
Hey, what they say about opposites is true! (My folks had a wonderful marriage, and Dad the seafood-lover married someone who's fatally allergic to it.)

[ellaystingray]

AGE
40

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
7ish years, but it seems like longer. In part, I guess, becuase I totally know who Jim Leff is...maybe I was lurking during a different decade.

CURRENT CITY
Los Angeles. Born in Manhattan, honeymooned in Austin for 4 years.

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
Restaurants, Distributor, Supplier, Restaurants. All drinks and food related. Somewhat obviously, I'd hope.

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Scottish and Danish. Born in Manhattan, grew up in L.A. Bi-coastal since 72'.

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
Drinks. Where to eat. How to tip properly. How to not get 86'd. How to impress your sig-other's mom. In that precise order.

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
I am the only person on earth to have eaten at the spinning restaurant on top of the Main hotel in Foshan (outside of Quangzhou) in 1993 and play for the the Northern California Collegiate All-Star Rugby team, in that exact same year. Since then, very little "fun" has happened that I can mention here. ;)

[Fydeaux]

Age: 58

Years on CH: since 2005

Current City: Milwaukee

Former Cities: Rochester NY, Cincinnati, Des Moines IA

Profession: Hard to explain, but by day I am a paperwork guy for the Pathology Dept of a medical school. By night I am a bass player.

Cultural Background: Solidly middle class upbringing. Three of my four grandparents were born in Chicago, as were both my parents.

Specialty: Louisiana and Southwestern food. I seem to be the Go To guy for both how to eat crawfish and how to make green chile brisket burritos. Since I have traveled a lot, I get asked a lot about restaurants in other cities [for which CH has naturally been an excellent resource].

Fun[?] fact: On a trip to London with my band, I was the initially the only one of the Yanks willing to try bubble & squeek. By the end of the tour, everyone was eating it.

[Harters]

"On a trip to London with my band, I was the initially the only one of the Yanks willing to try bubble & squeek. By the end of the tour, everyone was eating it"

I'm surprised to read of Americans not wanting to try something fried.

[Fowler]

"Three of my four grandparents were born in Chicago, as were both my parents."

So you are the guy at Shank Hall playing the bass and wearing the Bears hat as well as the Packer jersey? :-)

[Fydeaux]

While I have played at Shank Hall many times, you'd be more likely to see me wearing a Speed Queen hat and a Carson's t-shirt. (^-^)

[Seriously, when it comes to sports, I hope they ALL lose!]

[mugen]

AGE
27

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
1 month

CURRENT CITY
Sydney

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
Investment banker, though I've taken a year's leave and am only just starting the (difficult) process of re-entering a seemingly moribund industry

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Bitsa

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY

Anything food related, I suppose.

I have one of those OCD personalities that insists that whatever I have or do is in a sense optimal, and that necessitates understanding topics in as much detail as practicably possible. I get all nerdy inside for anything that conduces to the optimal result: from understanding the enzymatic action that produces sugars and so flavour and caramelisation/Maillard products in bread, to how that varies according to the grain, season, and processing of it; or the effect of temperature on by-products of fermentation; understanding, adjusting for and controlling every conceivable variable to make (or, more accurately, fail miserably) the perfect shot of espresso; or finding the perfect, transcendental expression of a food, whether it be dal at an Indian dhaba or a souffle at a classic brasserie.

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
For my last trip overseas, which was supposed to be the last before I went back to full-time work, went to India, bought a motorbike, and rode 5,500km through Kashmir and the Himalayas. On the way, I rode through landslides to navigate 4,500m passes; watched militant Muslim protests at a town near the border one day, then the next sat at a Buddhist shrine sunset above the town, in perfect serenity; rode through cold, high-altitude deserts with no-one for 100km in any direction; almost ran out of fuel, 100km from the nearest town, at 5,000m altitude, at night, in the rain; spent two weeks incapacitated with food poisoning; was hit by a car then spent two weeks indulging childhood Tom Sawyer-fantasies by fishing for trout in a remote mountain valley as I recovered; ate a kilo of Indian sweets every night for a week; was subject to amorous advances from a random girl from the US who candidly declared, "they thought that I was bipolar, but I wasn't" as well as a group of about 10 middle-aged Indian women ... etc.

This point of that isn't so much a fun fact about me as an exhortation to everyone to DO those things that have always been dreams, but which have always seemed too crazy, impetuous, or stupid.

Oh, and in reference to a post above, I have part of a bullet casing in my heel. Bonus points for anyone who manages to even remotely reconcile that with any of the above.

[HillJ]

Ok, now that bio is just all which ways to amazing for 27 years. You are a do-er, really enjoyed your post.

[mugen]

Haha that remains to be seen, but if returning to the industry here proves too hard, Plan B is to go to Colombia, buy a bike, ride all the way to San Fran (mainly for delicious coffee and bread, but I'll look for a job in my spare time) and, if that fails, ride to NYC and repeat.

Of course, by that time I'll be completely broke, and will have to rely on alms of home-made delights from chowhounders in NY. I'm willing to collect Mezcal, super-authentic anchos, etc on my way through, to trade :)

[HillJ]

I like the way you think, mugen. A life well lived, even with plenty of "time" to go!

[Veggo]

You need a plan C. You can't travel from Colombia by land to the Panama Canal. Trust me just this once. It is truly a war zone, out of control. The maintenance of the road is irrelevant. (And it is not maintained.) You would be such easy prey they would draw straws to kidnap you.

[Mr Taster]

We were in Panana a few years ago and were told that there is no official international road crossing between Colombia and Panama. It's just wild jungle. When people cross, they go by sea but there's a lot of drug trafficking that happens that way too, so the safest way is simply to fly (unless you pack your machete and enjoy hacking your way illegally across international borders)

Mr Taster

[Justpaula]

AGE: 37

TIME ON BOARD: Approaching 8 years. The first post I can locate under my first CH "name" is from April 2005, which sounds about right to me. So, longer than I have been with my hubs, whom I met in July 2005

CURRENT CITY: Beautiful, diverse QUEENS, NYC

PROFESSION: Stay-at-home-mom to an incredible 2 1/2 year old and wife to a union Electrician. But worked in "big corporate" Human Resources when I joined CH.

CULTURAL BACKGROUND: NYC mutt. A Jewish girl with the an uber-Scottish maiden name. Mixed background including Eastern European Jewish, Scottish, Swedish, Russian and more. Raised Jewish and grew up on Sunday morning bagels and Sunday night Chinese take-out.

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY: None, really. I love to cook and I love to eat food ...I am a very average Chowhounder.

FUN FACT: Cooking is my therapy, but I don't know where my love of it came from. My mother hates cooking, my older sister just does what she has to and my Dad makes the best scrambled eggs ever but it ends there. I cooked my first Thanksgiving day family feast, by myself, at the age of 12 and 25 years later am still the one happily cooking every holiday meal for my family.

[goodhealthgourmet]

Your fun fact sounds a lot like the one I considered posting for myself. Mom cooked when we were kids only because she had to - it was passable and pretty basic, and I don't think she's prepared anything outside of the microwave in several years. Dad never knew how to do much more than pop a piece of bread in the toaster. Sis literally doesn't know how to turn on the oven. Bro's only "specialty" is grilling chicken breasts, burgers & vegetables until they're charred beyond recognition. None of us can figure out where I got my culinary passion & skill.

[jmcarthur8]

Sounds like your culinary interests developed in self-defense!

Kind of like the way I ended up very handy around the house and good with tools - my father's entire assortment of handyman tools fit in one bottom drawer in the laundry room. Someone had to learn how to do stuff!
Happily, my mother and sisters were all good cooks, so in that case, I learned a lot at home.

[goodhealthgourmet]

Haha! Well, Mom's cooking was/is edible, just not very exciting.

I never *had* to learn how to do/fix stuff around the house when I was younger because Dad was pretty good at it and would hire someone to deal with major stuff. But I was always interested in it - I was one of the few girls who loved wood shop in school. My interest came in handy when I got older - as a single woman who has lived alone for about 20 years, my landlords are always surprised at how much I do by myself.

[foiegras]

AGE
45

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
I think it's 7+. I originally came here to complain publicly about how I was treated at a now-defunct restaurant (hello karma!) following the most expensive meal I've ever shelled out for. All these years later I could still give the well-known chef an earful.

CURRENT CITY
Fort Worth

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
QA/technical writer

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
My family's been here forever on both sides (DAR-eligible several different ways), but English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
I'm known for cooking without recipes, being willing to try anything, and knowing all the best restaurants

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
I have no cavities and am a supertaster.

[goodhealthgourmet]

AGE
40

YEARS ON THIS BOARD
I think 8, but it feels like more.

CURRENT CITY
Los Angeles. Born in NYC, grew up in Northern NJ, have lived in NYC, NJ, Atlanta, LA & San Diego.

PROFESSION
Culinary Nutritionist. Prior careers before I found my true calling: spin doctor; copywriter & editor; creative manager of a marketing team; published ghostwriter; fitness trainer.

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Eastern European Jewish - mostly from Poland & Russia but for some reason people always tell me I look Italian.

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
Finding the unfindable using the wonky Chowhound "Search" function :) If we're talking food, my niche is special diets (e.g. food allergies & intolerances, health conditions, vegetarian & vegan) but my knowledge & skill base is much broader than that. And I'm all about bold, complex flavors - I don't really go for bland or one-note comfort food.

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
I once ran 13 miles on a fractured heel thinking it was just a minor case of plantar fasciitis. By the end of the run I had shattered it, and I spent the next 6 months on crutches.

[jrvedivici]

Great post but I did 14 miles on a fractured heel.

[goodhealthgourmet]

I wasn't aware it was a contest. Did you know it was fractured before the run?

[jrvedivici]

No........I was only teasing! (Sorry) I did however practice a full week and play a game of football on what I thought was a pulled Achilles, which turned out to be a fractured heal. Split it in half and they had to cast and place a pin/screw through the heal to set the bone back together. So I do kinda know what it's like! No harm intended.

[goodhealthgourmet]

I honestly thought you were serious :) But no harm, no foul. And yeah, I hear you on that football injury. Not sure if yours was also a result of a congenital insensitivity to pain - I don't register it appropriately, so something that should really debilitate me only feels uncomfortable. Other people think it sounds like a good thing to have, but it can be dangerous!

[jrvedivici]

No mine was fueled by a fear of losing my starting position I intentionally hid the injury and iced the hell out of it every night and wrapped it each day. By the end of the game I could barely walk and it would no longer fit in my shoe. That kept me sidelined 8 weeks!

I guess you didn't read my "profile" above, I'm a jokester!
Sorry again.

[goodhealthgourmet]

Really no need to apologize. It's not that your post wasn't funny, I just didn't read it right ;)

[jrvedivici]

Well I just wanted to make sure I didn't come across the wrong way. If you ever find yourself in Jersey again let me know we can see if you can come up with a diet for me.

I recently lost 25lbs when I stopped drinking for 12 weeks. I went back to drinking and within 1 month I've put just about all of it back on. Oh it was nice being under 300lbs again!! (No I'm not being funny this time I'm about 305).

[goodhealthgourmet]

Believe it or not I'm headed to LAX to catch a flight to Jersey in about 90 minutes! Unfortunately I'm booked with family stuff for the week while I'm there, but I'd be happy to talk to you about your needs anyway - I do a lot of long-distance counseling thanks to modern technology. Send me a direct e-mail using my CH name at yahoo.

[jrvedivici]

Hey safe travels!! My email is on my profile under "blog" just ignore the "http" that auto populates on that section of the profile. Enjoy your trip to NJ and time with the family.

[Charles Yu]

AGE: 59+ but doesn't look like it!

YEARS ON THE BOARD: At least 12+ years

CURRENT CITY: Toronto.
Due to education and past career in Oil & Gas, have lived in Hong Kong, London, Oslo, San Francisco, Vancouver, Houston and Paris.

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK: Professional Offshore Engineer and later in children shoe business. Now, semi-retired and pursuing 2nd career as a culinary consultant arranging guided food and wine adventure tours.

CULTURAL BACKGROUND: Product from born and raised in Hong Kong, lived and educated in Wales and London, worked all over the world. Thanks to the latter, helped me in collecting over 100 Michelin stars! Father used to own restaurants in the UK, hence early lessons in food and wine.

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY: Knowledge of Chinese cuisine here in Canada as well as in places like Hong Kong. Michelin star restaurants in the States and abroad. Have organized and participated in over 18 'chowmeets' from Toronto to Hong Kong, Singapore and NYC. Hong Kong Won-ton noodles!
If call upon, can make an awesome 'Linguine a la Vongole' , 'Dungeness Crab with creamy Rum sauce' and ' Braised ox-tail with Port and root vegetables'.

FUN FACT ABOUT ME: Friends of my kids, who heard of me from Chowhound, referred me as ' The Charles '!

[Veggo]

Enviable addresses!

[Charles Yu]

Thank you! Your 'Mexican related' resume is pretty impressive too!

[thelittlemiller]

AGE
I'm a whole 21 years old. But I've been told I have an old soul.

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
Been reading for maybe a year and half. Joined officially about six months ago.

CURRENT CITY
Washington, D.C.
Grew up in New York City and will probably return after college.
Lived in Florence, Italy for six months.

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
Senior in college, majoring in English/Creative Writing and journalism. I'd love to combine my love of food and journalism and work at a food magazine.

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
I'm fourth/fifth generation American on either side of the family, so, very American at this point. Mom's family is Jewish (Eastern European, mostly Austrian, Latvian, Hungarian) and Dad's family is Western European (Scottish/English). My mom's family has a lot of traditions stemming from Eastern European/Jewish holiday cuisine that have a nice dose of 1930s/40s/50s America infused into them. I also consider myself culturally "a New Yorker", with an unwavering love of bagels, pizza, sky-high deli sandwiches, dirty water hot dog, diner food and black coffee.

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
Among my group of young twenty-something college kid friends, I'm one of the few who can cook things that don't come out of a box, if you know what I mean... That means I get lots of questions about recipes, cookbooks, how to make xyz. I read scores of food blogs so I get asked for recommendations for those as well. I also get a lot of "Can you bring those [cookies/brownies/bars/etc] to work this weekend?" type requests.

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
I lived in Florence, Italy last year for six months with an incredible host mother who was an INSANE cook. I got fed a three course meal every night - and was force fed seconds. I love the simplicity and respectfulness of Italian food and food culture, especially in Tuscany.

[jmcarthur8]

AGE
56
MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
Three years
CURRENT CITY
A college town of 25k in rural West Georgia, outside Atlanta. Formerly of Northwest Indiana, before that, Columbus, Ohio and several other states as my father was a missile systems analyst and we went where the gov’mint contracts were.
PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
In my 13th year as a kitchen and bath designer, after having spent 25 years as a custom picture framer.
CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Just your average 2nd generation American
CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
Home cooking and canning, searching out locally owned restaurants while traveling the back roads of the eastern USA visiting our kids.
FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
This year, I’m the VP of our county Master Gardener association, which is a lot of fun (and a lot of work!) I have met more great cooks in this gardening venue than anywhere I’ve been.

[pbo2444]

Could you reccomend a great kitchen designer in eastern NC??

[jmcarthur8]

I do work long distance!

[pbo2444]

Can we discuss privately?

[The Chowhound Team]

Yes, please continue this in private e-mails - thank you!

[jmcarthur8]

pbo2444, Please email me. There's a contact page on my website, which you can find on my profile page here on CH.

[Harters]

Age - 62

Current city - don't live in a city but a town of some 200K people

Profession - retired clerk

Background - North European

Speciality - none that I can think of

Fun fact - erm?

[fryerlover]

Age: 36

Years on Board: I think about 5.

Current City: Mississauga, although grew up in Toronto.

Field of Work: Employment and Social Services (assisting residents with financial, employment and social supports) Love my work........makes me appreciate simple things in life such as food and shelter.

Cultural Background: Half Acadian French, quarter german with a bit of dutch and quarter unknown.

Chowhounder Specialty: Always asked about places to eat by co-workers. Love reading reviews and looking at food pics. It may be just bordering on an obsession.

Fun Fact About Me: I can't really cook and don't really like to. Thank goodness my husband loves to cook so it works out. I love trying new foods and new restaurants and will plan a trip around food (two week road trip in June was a culinary blast).
My chowhound name is because I love the little chicken wings cooked nice and crispy, although ate too much and now on a long break.
And, my uncle died in World War II. He was a cook on the Athabaskan. Died when the ship was bombed. Never met him, although will always cherish him and just found out two years ago that his name is on a memorial in Halifax, NS.........so my hubby and I went four years ago to pay our respects. Thank you Uncle Frank. That was an awesome piece of family history to learn.

[CindyJ]

AGE
65 -- the new 35!

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
6 years

CURRENT LOCATION
West Chester, PA (western 'burbs of Philly)

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
Retired now, but most recently had my own qualitative marketing research company and was a consumer focus group moderator. In other words, I got paid for asking lots of people I'd never met before lots of nosy questions.

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
I grew up in Brooklyn, but I'm convinced I was Italian in a former life.

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
I like cooking, eating (at home and out) and drinking, not necessarily in that order.

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
I used to think that if you planted a pea, right out of the pod, a baby would grow from it. Do you have ANY idea how many peas I planted while I was very young??? THANKS, Mom!!!

[Njchicaa]

AGE: 35

TIME ON BOARD: 1-2 years

CURRENT CITY: Jersey Shore

PROFESSION: Teacher

CULTURAL BACKGROUND: Italian. Make my own pasta and the family makes homemade ravioli every Dec for Christmas dinner. 100+ year old recipe. We now substitute ground beef for brains.

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY: Entertaining! I can easily whip up a feast for Sunday football or a Saturday summer BBQ. 20 people don't intimidate me!

[prima]

AGE: 39 forever

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD: 2 years as prima, 10 years on the Board

CULTURAL BACKGROUND: greco-bohemian-canadian

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY: especially opinionated on the topics of restaurants in London, Ontario and Greek restaurants in Toronto. I also post frequently on the Home Cooking Board.

[cowboyardee]

Age: 31

Years on board: 3 posting, occasional lurking before that.

Current location: Southwest corner of PA

Profession: RN, mostly in trauma and toxicology. And various side projects that don't pay much.

Cultural background: half Irish, half lots of other stuff. Though foodwise, my mother was raised by adoptive Portuguese immigrant grandparents, and I grew up eating a lot of a weird Portuguese/New Jersey hybrid.

Chowhound specialty: Knives, knife sharpening, sous vide cooking. To a lesser degree, general science of cooking.

Fun fact: I occasionally host and/or compete in Pittsburgh-area cooking contests.

[kyrn80]

BMT here!

[cowboyardee]

Did a rotation on a leukemia unit back in school. Really liked it, though it could be emotionally draining.

[kyrn80]

AGE: 32

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD: Been a lurker for years, just recently became "official."

CURRENT CITY: Lexington, KY

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK: Registered Nurse

CULTURAL BACKGROUND: Mother was born/raised in Italy; father is American-Irish.

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY: I can bake just about anything.

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU: I have seen Pearl Jam live 24 times and have 4 Pearl Jam tattoos!

[kmlmgm]

OH, that is SO awesome about Pearl Jam. You lucky, dedicated fan, you.

[SAHCook]

AGE - 35
MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD - since I was looking for an impressive recipe for my 5th anniversary, just over 6 years ago.
CURRENT CITY - Post Falls, ID. Used to live in the Boise area.
PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK - stay-at-home, homeschooling mom
CULTURAL BACKGROUND - American.
CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY - Nothing, but my friends don't know it ;) I don't let not knowing how to do something stop me, and friends assume my fearlessness is expertise, lol!

[iL Divo]

Elvis..........

[deet13]

AGE: 42

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD: 3 years

CURRENT CITY: Tampa, Fl (before Tampa, toss a dart and I've probably been there for a couple of years).

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK: Retired Military '88-'08 (E-7p, US Army Cavalry Scout), now an IT systems admin.

CULTURAL BACKGROUND: Southern/Scots-Irish

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY: BBQ and Drink

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU:
My future wife (a former MP) tazered me outside of a GI dive in Killeen, Texas when I told her how cute I thought her accent was (apparently she told me to, "stand against the wall and shut it"). We now have a son, and own a bunch of goats and dogs.

[meshane]

AGE
41 (Can that be right?)

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
1 Year

CURRENT CITY
San Francisco, CA

Former Cities:
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
San Diego, CA
Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
Prague, Czechoslovakia
Village 55, Corentyne, Guyana
Topeka, KS
Lawrence, KS

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
Software Engineering Manager, Chow.com

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Father - Midwestern of mixed European origin
Mother - Iranian

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
See "PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK" above

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
Co-founded a children's educational television production company in Ethiopia with my amazing wife: http://www.rolexawards.com/profiles/y...

[Veggo]

Cool background- you would be a fun couple with whom to break bread!

[meshane]

Thanks Veggo!

[KrumTx]

Did you go to KU? Allen Fieldhouse and the Dean Smith gym are the two greatest places I've ever seen basketball played. (College, at least. There was nothing better than the old Chicago Stadium in the early 90s).

[meshane]

I went to KU for one semester. My mother, father, and grandfather all went to KU, and I was born in Lawrence. I LOVE Allen Fieldhouse! I certainly miss that place. I never made it to the Dean Smith gym.

[KrumTx]

Well, not many people make it to Chapel Hill. I dated a guy ... Blah blah. Seems that you left KU for much bigger and greater things. Good for you, and good to know one of our moderators is so well traveled:) (And no, I'm not sucking up!)

[bbqboy]

Ha! I have my one semester in too.
Been many times to Allen Field House though, both for BB and Concerts. A Roeland Park boy here, hence my moniker. Migrated to Southern Oregon 25 years ago.

[Beach Chick]

Married a K State guy but most of his family lives in Lawrence and they all went to KU..the rivalry is fierce..rock chalk Jayhawk!

Love Lawrence and KU and miss sandwiches at Quintons, beer/food at Free State Brewery and the cheesy pretzels at the bar at the lovely Oread Hotel.

[goodhealthgourmet]

My little cousin plays women's basketball for KU - took me a while to figure out why her entire family was always saying Rock Chalk!

[Beach Chick]

Hi ghg!
You are so so missed!!

Awesome about your cousin playing for KSU women's basketball..just saw them on TV..

[goodhealthgourmet]

Post edited - I meant KU, no idea why I said State.

And I miss you too, though I haven't been doing much local 'Hounding here in LA anyway. Hope all is well down in SD!

[meshane]

I bet your little cousin isn't so little. Rock Chalk!!!

[MSPD]

AGE
39

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
I just went back to find what I thought was my earliest post and discovered the "Midwest Archive" board is now gone. I'm actually kind of devastated if that's the case -- it's the only record of my existence on here for many years. I think I started in 2003 or 2004.

CURRENT CITY
Burnsville, MN (suburb of Minneapolis-St. Paul). Have lived in Fairfax County, VA, Newport, RI area and Scranton, PA.

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
Basically a corporate writer.

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Ukrainian, but married into a Scandinavian (Norwegian, Swedish) family and have been absorbed.

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
Hopefully it's being thoughtful about my input and suggestions, and putting details and context in my posts. I'm also sort of a "journeyman" eating in a filthy dive one day and on the other end of the spectrum the next.

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
I fantasize about being a goat farmer/cheese maker or a truck driver a little too much for my own good.

[The Dairy Queen]

http://chowhound.chow.com/boards/8

Midwest board is still there!

~TDQ

[LindaWhit]

AGE
54

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
At least 13. I know who Jim Leff is (and used to internally :::Squee!::: when the Big Dog would respond to one of my comments on the old Chowhound board) I introduced a lot of people on several old AOL food boards to Chowhound.

CURRENT CITY
north of Boston; grew up in northern NJ, with a few years in my late 20s spent in central PA - Amish/Mennonite country

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
Administrative Manager

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
I'm a mutt - Irish, Polish, Norwegian, English, and I think a bit of German

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
No specialty, but I'm pretty good at coming up with dinner by just opening the cabinets and seeing what's there. I love to "put flavors together."

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
I knew how to use chopsticks by the time I was 5yo. Yes, I know - not a big deal for those who grew up using them, but for a white Anglo-Saxon kid in northern NJ in the early 60s? BIG deal. My father was born in Shanghai of American parents and lived there until well into the Japanese occupation. So we kids learned early.

[Janet from Richmond]

You introduced me to Chowhound :-)

[LindaWhit]

I know. And I think you're the only one who stuck it out through the old-old-old format that Jim Leff and Bob Okumura had duct-taped together before CNET purchased CH and combined it with CHOW. :-)

[Fowler]

Finally the pieces of the puzzle fit together, Linda. Thanks for sharing and I always thought you were much older than 54 based upon your wisdom. I hope to have even a fraction of that when I am that old.

[LindaWhit]

I'm not near as wise as many others on CH, but thanks, Fowler! Perhaps the Google-Fu is just strong in me and I can find the answers quickly. Very similar to how well goodhealthgourmet can link previous Chowhound threads along a similar vein when someone asks a question about "how do you use X?" or "where do you find Y?" :-)

[jrvedivici]

Google-Fu? I have to assume there is another "Fu" abbreviation than the one my sophomoric mind is thinking of?

[Gio]

Google-Fu: "The ability to use Google with zen like prowess."

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define...

Linda's a whiz at it...

[jrvedivici]

Hahahaha ok I see it's Google-Fu pronounced Foo. Not F.U. as I was reading it. Thank you Gio !!

[Gio]

You're welcome. I laughed when I read your question...

[hannah]

AGE
33

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOAR
Between 10-11
CURRENT CITY
San Francisco (have lived in London, DC, Santa Barbara)

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
Law enforcement

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
European mutt (Czech gypsy and French Russian)

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
Friend ask me about cooking tips and restaurants. Just a plethora of information rolling around up here.

[chileheadmike]

AGE
51

YEARS ON THIS BOARD
A lot of them. Since 98 or 99. I seem to remember you didn't need to log in to post.

CURRENT CITY
Lexington, KY (Moved from Kansas City 2 years ago)

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Irish and German

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
I love hole in the wall Mexican Restaurants.

FUN FACT
Left my barbecue team in KC. Go Briskets and Gravy.

[jrvedivici]

AGE
42 but refuse to act over 12

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
6/7 years total. About 3 years under a different name…took a break for a couple years forgot name and password rejoined under this name for past two+- years.
CURRENT CITY
Born and raised in Middlesex County NJ, Resident Monmouth County 20 years –current.

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
Financial Services is my primary gig for the past 23 years. Side jobs have included ownership of/in several restaurants and clubs.
CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Half English and half Italian

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
I am a steak and potato kind of guy. I love a good steak and that would be my “specialty”

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
I gave joke writing a try for a little while…..I didn't make a career out of it not because my jokes weren't funny….it was the dopes telling them that weren't funny!!

[Bob W]

AGE
52

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
At least 12. I have two Chowhound t-shirts and was scolded (always in private) by the great Jim Leff on several occasions

CURRENT CITY
Chantilly VA (raised in Pawtucket RI, have also lived in the Boston area, the Baltimore area, Maine, and Gainesville FL). Favorite vacation spots are the Delaware beaches and New Orleans.

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
Tax law/technical editing

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Eastern European Jewish; raised in a kosher home

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
Giving friends and relatives restaurant recommendations for any place on earth (CH is my secret go-to)
Collecting East Asian takeout menus, wine corks, and matchbooks. The menus aren't as fun since the advent of spell check, the corks are turning plastic, and the matchbooks are becoming an endangered species.

FUN FACTS ABOUT YOU
I have an old copy of Roadfood that is autographed by the late Mama Lo of the late Mama Lo's in Gainesville FL.
My grandparents ran a popular eatery in Pawtucket for decades called the Windsor Grill. They also were in the liquor business and according to family legend made bathtub gin during Prohibition (RI was easily one of the "wettest" states in the US).
My father (a trencherman of some repute) taught me to put capers on pizza.

[jujuthomas]

AGE
holding at 36

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
8-10... can't remember for certain.

CURRENT CITY
Philadelphia, PA suburbs. I'm a east coast gal

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
technical writer, moving (I hope) into document and project amangement

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
My family's been in the states so long I no longer have any other cultural background. Even tho we're of Irish descent, I never had colcannon until I moved to PA 8 years ago!

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
I.love.to.cook. and to share that cooking with my friends. GFs know I am always willing to share - or overshare - recipes and ideas.

[redips]

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD: On/Off 3 years

CURRENT CITY

From Upstate NY, Currently in Boston, Lived in Indianapolis and Adelaide Australia

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK

Software Sales

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
Vino

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU

I spent several years in the distribution channel of a major US winery, I graduated from Uni Adelaide with degree in Wine Business and Oenology, I would love to apply years of training, education, and experience to open a concept wine store and yet I can not escape the wrath of technology sales :)

[mugen]

How was it that you ended up in software sales in the States rather than in the wine industry?

[Roland Parker]

AGE
45

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
Six+ years

CURRENT CITY
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (as of the last five years). Have lived in London, Jakarta, Philadelphia and New York but Baltimore born and raised and Baltimore will always be my home.

PROFESSION
Expat wife. Cook and chauffer to two demanding children.

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Mid-Atlantic white anglo-saxon Protestant. My mother and grandmother lived in Baltimore for most of their lives but always described themselves as Virginians. My father is from Pennsylvania.

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
Baking is my forte but I am a pretty good all-around cook. Since we travel extensively people frequently ask us for food recommendations for just about anywhere in the world.

[BuildingMyBento]

@Roland Parker, which part of Jakarta did you live in?

[Veggo]

60, CH 6 years, living in Florida but my cat and heart are in Mexico, retired 3 times so far from odd jobs - made rich people richer, Dept. of State in Mexico, city manager in Colorado. Danish-American, raised in CT. Have lived in 11 states plus abroad. I have scuba dived and golfed around the world, never made a hole-in-one but I have consorted with some cool sharks.

[chloebell]

AGE: 47
MONTHS/YEARS ON BOARD: Maybe a month.......complete newbie!
CURRENT CITY: Orange Beach, AL (yes, Alabama has beaches, yes, it's like running in white sugar, yes, we were affected by the BP Oil spill, and yes, we are completely fine now. Come visit!)
PROFESSION: Used to be in marketing/sales. Then, married my lovely hubby who had 4 daughters, and of course I was nutsy coo coo when I did that!
CULTURAL BACKGROUND: Totally Southern
CH SPECIALTY: Just a normal gal who loves to cook, drink wine & learn about both always!
FUN FACT: Nothing great. I love tennis. I reckon' I've led a pretty boring life.

Some of these fun facts are cracking me up! LOL!

[Beach Chick]

You forgot to mention V that another wild and crazy Swede/Dane share the same birthday...hee hee

[Veggo]

Which is September 16, Mexican Independence Day, and a fun place to be that day. I did go back for a couple weeks for my 60th.

[Beach Chick]

I heard on the news last week that the most popular day of the year to be born is...September 16th!

Here I thought our birthday was a sacred day and not some pedestrian day that now is considered the most common days to be born..

The news stated since we were conceived over the holidays, the children are known to be some of the most festive people around!

My DH laughed his ass off hearing the news since he knows how I put my bday as some sacred holiday..

[Veggo]

I might have guessed. We are the unintended consequence of holiday sport sex....

[NonnieMuss]

AGE (Ain't nothin' but a number)
36

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
2? I don't really remember.

CURRENT CITY
Lexington, KY

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
Secretary.

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
I am white-to-pinkish, with areas that are a lovely almost translucent blue. Mostly pure-D American with a strong quarter of Italian.

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
Homemade fresh pasta, old family recipes, fun and festive appetizers, great honking slabs of meat, and dealing with life-long pickiness vs. foodie tendencies. Love to make prepared salads (expert at chicken salad, famous for potato salad, and reaching new high with pimiento cheese) Very interested in food science and technique, opposed to just reading recipes. Insist on using real ingredients and avoiding low-fat/healthy/vegetarian substitutes.

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
I once got kicked out of a pyramid scheme presentation for having a bad attitude.

[Cheez62]

AGE
50

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
4 years

CURRENT CITY
Canton, Ohio

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
Electrician

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Mostly Scandinavian and German heritage, with both parents' families from Wisconsin.

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
I enjoy cooking in general. I like to bake, especially pies and cookies. But what I really love is cooking outside. Grilling and smoking, primarily, but cooking over an open fire, cooking on my Camp Chef stove (sometimes we just put on a couple pots of oil and "fry stuff", also love using the wok on it) as well. I may not literally have more grills than I can count, but I do have more than I can count in my head while sitting here on the couch.

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
I love cheese. My family is from Wisconsin. I am a huge Packers fan. None of those things are the reason for my nickname, it is simply a play on my actual surname. the rest is just happy coincidence.

[CanadaGirl]

AGE
37

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
2ish years

CURRENT CITY
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

PROFESSION
High school teacher

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Canadian :)

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
My friends and family ask me pretty much any food-related question, but my family is one of great cooks. My ILs, not so much.

[Delucacheesemonger]

AGE
69

MONTHS/YEAR ON THIS BOARD
5+ YEARS

CURRENT CITY
Paris
Previously in Manhattan and Philadelphia

PROFESSION
Daytrader
Podiatrist
Caterer
Cheesemonger-Fortunately was able to retire very young, so had many fun jobs, where the
necessity of earning a living was not the focus.

FUN FACT
Was almost arrested as well when bringing two mutton legs on a plane from Owensboro, KY. Fortunately there were USDA stamps on the mutton, or l might still be in Kentucky.

[iL Divo]

"Fortunately there were USDA stamps on the mutton, or l might still be in Kentucky."

ah not so bad = Kentucky, I hear they have a pretty good horse race there :-D

[jrvedivici]

The Belmont?

[NonnieMuss]

Booooooooo!

[iL Divo]

........or the Kentucky Derby........ :)

[melpy]

AGE

28

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD

At least 3 years posting but I think I was lurking for a bit before that.

CURRENT CITY

Carlisle PA

Raised in Connecticut, Maryland and studied abroad in Malaga, Spain and San German, PR

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK

Education-Spanish and English as a Second Language. Second year as the department head for K-12 public school district.

CULTURAL BACKGROUND

Italian and New England mutt. My mother is part German, French, English, and Scottish. Her family is from Vermont, Connecticut and Long Island (not really NE but whatever).

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY

Nothing special. Just recipe advice and general knowledge type of thing.

[Janet from Richmond]

Age: 48

Time on board: 13-14 years I would guess

Current city: Richmond, VA

Profession: I manage a small business

Culture: Southern U.S., of Scot and Welsh decent

Chow Specialty: Richmond, VA restaurants and Southern comfort foods

Fun fact: My paternal grandfather (not great-grandfather) was born in 1872. 3 of my 4 grandparents were born in the 19th century

[Bob W]

My grandparents were all born in the 19th century, but the eldest in 1885, I think. Did you see the story about two of President John Tyler's grandsons still being alive? He was born in 1790!

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/01/...

[Janet from Richmond]

I saw that....amazing! My grandfather would have been 92 when I was born if he had been living. He was 45 when my Dad was born and my Dad was 47 when I was born.

[HillJ]

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/408611
CH circa 2007-2011. durianbreath, you might really dig this mega-thread of introductions.

FUN FACT: My husband, four grown children and I have all shared the CH s/n as a family since the CNET buyout. But only I remain a dedicated poster.

[Pegmeister]

Okay, I'll share:
AGE: 60
YEARS ON BOARD: around 10
CURRENT CITY; Quincy, MA
PROFESSION: Recently retired after 30 years of working for a nonprofit. My last position was Director of Publishing
CULTURAL BACKGROUND: Grew up in Quincy. Father was a tool grinder and mom worked In a factory.
CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY: Friends always ask for restaurant recommendations, or, When are you going to make us a fudge cake?
FUN FACT: I'm totally obsessed with my 10 week old puppy Maddy. Also, looking for recommendations for specialy doggy treats!

[skier]

try buddy biscuits. I have yet to meet a dog that didn't like them. We nicknamed them doggie crack for our weimaraner. She may have had cancer, lost 30%+ of her body weight, not been able to see, not been able the hear, and have little sense of smell left, but she knew exactly where the buddy biscuits were and she would do anything to get some. I think she lived her last 2 weeks on buddy biscuits alone (it was the only thing she would eat).

Try the bacon and cheddar ones.
http://www.petco.com/assets/product_i...

[Pegmeister]

Thanks. I'm due for a Petco trip so I'll pick some up. Sorry to hear that you lost your pet.

[Pegmeister]

My puppy just loved the buddy biscuits!

[globocity]

Pegmeister, is Quincy, Mass pronounced "QuinZee"? Coworker and I had an odd debate about this.

Cheers.

[Pegmeister]

Yes it is!! I hope you won the debate. The city was named after Colonel John Quincy and the pronunciation comes from that family name.

[mcel215]

AGE
63

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD

11 yrs or so... knew who Jim Leff was.

CURRENT CITY

Boston born and raised.

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK

I've had many. Hairdresser, Montessori educator, lobsterfisherman and now medical assistant.

CULTURAL BACKGROUND

Swedish/Irish.

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY

I'm a great cook, but do go out and look for hidden gems. Especially love Vietnamese and Thai.

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU

I ran a commercial lobster boat with my ex out of the Neponset River. It was quite an experience for newbies in the field.

www.saffron215.blogspot.com

[cacruden]

AGE
48

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
5+

CURRENT CITY
Bangkok (3 years)
Lived in: Toronto approximately 20 years in total, London UK - 1 year & 1 day, San Diego 11 months, Denver 2 months, Chicago 1 year, Kingston ON 21 years, Charlottetown PEI 1 year

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
Software Developer / Consultant

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Canadian

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
Thai Food (a little - for foreigners; for Thais .... they already know it much better than me :o)

[Jonishkc]

Age: 47

On this board: lurked for ever just signed up

Current city: Kansas City, Mo

Profession: Sales

Background Midwest born

Specialty : baking

Fun fact: reformed vegetarian now on a competitive BBQ team. Go team Chicken Butt!

[durianbreath]

I'll go first.

Dead giveaways to anyone here who knows me in real life. Praying feverishly that this doesn't somehow get scooped up by some creepy internet data collection service.

AGE
32

MONTHS/YEARS ON THIS BOARD
5 (as durianbreath for 3+)

CURRENT CITY
Brooklyn, formerly SF

PROFESSION/FIELD OF WORK
Food industry, educational nonprofit startup

CULTURAL BACKGROUND
Product of a New Yorker and a Singaporean, grew up between Hawaii and California.

CHOWHOUNDER SPECIALTY
"Weird"/extreme foods, fantastical drunken bodega purchases, lazy innovations (eg -- why hunt through your cookie dough ice cream for the cookie dough when you can just buy cookie dough and mix it with ice cream for a superior, though disgusting, 1:1 ratio?)

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU
Was almost arrested for trying to smuggle a durian onto a train in Thailand. (I knew better, but IT WAS TOO GOOD TO LEAVE BEHIND.)

[Brandon Nelson]

Age: 41

On this board: 11 years? You can't find the old posts I made. Those were back in the days of the chronological OG board. Was one of the assistant editors back then, when everyone knew who Jim Leff was.

Current city: Napa, Ca

Profession: Retail Butcher. 20 years in retail produce before that.

Background: Cali born and raised.

Specialty : Currently it is economy cuts of meat.

Fun fact: Ran through LAX to make a connection to SFO with a case of Australian beer on my shoulder.

[mugen]

That's dedicated. Which beer was it?

[Brandon Nelson]

Tooheys red.

[porker]

Sooo durianbreath,
Hehe,
I hope once theres about 200 responses or so that you will tabulate the results: mean age, oldest, yougnest, mean time on boards, longest, shortest, a geographical representation of all respondants, most popular profession, cultural background on a 3-D helix chart, and a smattering of points based on specialties and fun facts?
{;-/)