I didn't foresee being tagged for a Meme, but it happened and now I'm trying to figure out what exactly to divulge. I'm not shy, so don't worry, I'll give you something juicy to read. Astra Libris of Food for Laughter tagged me and surprisingly we share one Meme in common. :-)
Here it goes -- 5 things you didn't know about me ...
1.] Oddly enough, just like Astra Libris, I grew up on a sheep farm! We had about 200 sheep and I baled hay, plowed the fields, and helped raise the animals. During lambing season, I was responsible for checking the barn every hour to check on any sheep giving birth. Just like with humans, there is an occasional breach birth or other issue which requires your assistance.
A few years ago, a close friend/coworker was pregnant and she knew of my farm history. She elected me as the one to take her to the hospital should she go into labor while at work. She was impressed with my background and knew that if we encountered traffic or if the delivery proceeded quickly, I could deliver her baby :-) Unfortunately, she had her baby over a weekend.
2.] You'll have to take my word for it that today I'm a pretty normal looking 'guy next door' type of person. Most people find it surprising that for many years I had my nose pierced, my tongue pierced, and often had a variety of hair colors (blue, green, magenta ...). To this day, I miss my nose ring the most. I no longer have any piercings and my hair color returned to a basic brown color. Let's just say, I am artistic and creative soul.
3.] You may know that this year I started working from my home office for the first time. What you don't know is that I've literally replaced my normal commute (45 minutes or so, each way) with my passion for food. Any baking that you see on the site was likely done before 8am and any cooking done after 5pm. The earliest I've started was probably the other day when I made english muffins -- they were started around 6:30am or so.
4.] I have an addiction to small bowls. I don't know why, but I am drawn to little mixing, dipping, condiment holding bowls. I have a big drawer filled with them and must stop myself from buying more. I've limited myself to only what will fit into this one drawer. They're just so cute. (I have a similar issue with miniature versions of condiments, liquor bottles, etc.)
5.] I LOVE BOURSIN!! There, I said it. The taste and texture is absolutely magical to me. It takes all of my self restraint not to eat an entire package in one sitting. I don't mind that it makes me smell all garlickly ... it keeps people at a manageable distance :-)
And that concludes my Meme -- not too exciting or damaging to my reputation, at least I hope not. You know that these Memes always require a passing of the torch. I'll admit that I'm somewhat skeptical of this part and actually don't know too many food bloggers to whom I can pass this along. For anyone interested it doing this Meme, just let me know. I'll update my posting to TAG you! There are five positions open, so first-come, first-served:
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But, keeping in the spirit of giving a few shout-outs, I am going to list a few bloggers who I've come across recently and enjoy reading.
The first two who I immediately think of are Mark of No Special Effects and Peter from Kalofagas and everyone seems to know these guys. I read them religiously. Mark makes the most elaborate creations -- always something exciting to see. Peter brings his Greek heritage to the table and makes the most mouthwatering foods, like the grilled halloumi or Spanakopita in which he MADE his own phyllo!
I've also recently discovered Cafe Fernando by Cenk who lives in Turkey and always makes the most beautiful foods -- like this Clementine and olive oil cake. In addition to food, we share a common love for the Golden Girls. Rose is my favorite character too :-)
Then there's Peter from Australia who writes Souvlaki for the Soul. His photography is amazingly beautiful and his food is amazing. Check out his 'Biteclub', which sounds like such a wonderful dining experience.
And finally, some royalty. If you haven't heard of The Queen, then I suggest checking out Jenn of The Leftover Queen fame. She's widely known but I have to call her out for providing a nice food blogger forum and for bringing us foodies together. She also finds time to run The Foodie BlogRoll ... not sure how she pulls it all off and makes it look so effortless. Super kudos to Jenn!
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Pay attention, it's time for ... me!
Thursday, March 01, 2007
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.
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)
