About EOL

My name is Allen and I am a 30-something foodie. I started Eating Out Loud (EOL) in March 2007 as an outlet for sharing my culinary adventures. I had no idea I would meet and make friends with so many wonderful people from around the world. From a few readers at the start to now tens of thousands per month, I am excited by the continued growth of the food blog community.

If you reading my blog for the first time, you should know I am not a professional chef and don't pretend to be. Actually, my food should be rather self-evident of this. :-) I try recipes from interesting cookbooks, re-use family recipes, and create a few recipes all of my own.

My cooking skills are attributed to my mother who is always cooking or baking something delicious. She is my inspiration and taught me at an early age how to make everything from a pot roast to a peach pie -- plenty stick to your ribs, farm-style cookery.

Today, you'll find me exploring global flavors and interesting produce from around the world, while leveraging the foundational skills I learned as a child. Whether it's banana blossom salad or Chinese tea eggs, I am excited to try it all. I hope you enjoy what you read on my site -- I welcome your comments and feedback at any time.

Contact me at: allen[at]eatingoutloud[dot]com

Book or Product Reviews
I welcome the opportunity to review books and products, and to share them with my readers. Please send me an email with your inquiry.

Advertising
Please email me to discuss any advertising inquiries. Although I participate in an advertising program currently, I do have possible ad placements available.

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More About Me

I am the creative type. I enjoy making things and more importantly, enjoy *learning* how to make things. It's often said that I can't stick with any particular hobby, well -- it's mostly true. I enjoy the pursuit of learning many different things, it's all about the journey. Here are a few of my creative outlets from over the years ...

Handthrown pottery -- I love using my hands to sculpt and create objects, especially usable objects like these bowls. The larger bowl is used in my kitchen to hold fruits and veggies. Unfortunately, the pottery studio I used recently closed down, so I haven't found a new one yet.



Homemade soap -- I remember my mother making soap when I was young and it just stuck with me. I decided to learn the craft several years ago. It's fun to create different recipes from various oils and scents.



Poetry -- ahhh, when I was young I was a poet. My undergraduate major was creative writing (poetry) with a minor in Theatre production. I haven't written poetry since and never pursued publication ... although I have quite a collection built up.



Sewing -- my mother taught me to sew when I was quite young. I participated in 4-H (an agricultural type fair where children competed in a variety of categories) and won a 1st place blue ribbon for a blue velour v-neck that I made. Here is a pillow I made from old shorts and jeans at Christmas time.



Crocheting -- great grandma was always crocheting, knitting, or tatting something. She taught me at an early age how to crochet. I've made many pillows and afghans since. This pic is a project I started before Christmas and haven't touched since.



Glass bead making -- in undergrad, my friend Amy and I started to make glass beads. It's pretty much what you'd expect -- a torch, some glass rods, and a lack of fear. This necklace is the only remaining glass piece that I have.



Oh yeah, and I cook ... (and enjoy photography)