The Food Babies Staff

Ladies and Gentlemen, meet the the Food Babies staff...

Alex - Alex grew up in Chicago, attended college at Tulane University in New Orelans, and currently lives in Bucktown. He is the son of a Provencial mother and adores the flavors of herbs and spices from the south of France and enjoys cooking with them. Alex thinks some of the best foods are those that are made with a lot of time, work, and heart and is fascinated with how the flavor profile of food changes when aged or when cooked for long periods of time. When not cooking or sampling Chicago restaurants, Alex is studying to obtain his PharmD at the University of Illinois-Chicago.

Amy -  After eating her way through Lincoln, NE, Nashville, Vancouver, and parts of Southern Europe, Amy made Chicago her home in 2007. She always orders what she wants at restaurants, despite highly-constrained financial resources and a metabolism that continues to slow as she approaches 30. Her favorite meals are those that last at least two hours and include at least two bottles of wine. Between meals, Amy hangs out with teachers, reads journal articles, and thinks about transforming public education. She lives in Logan Square with her husband (also an avid foodie) and their cat. 

Bill - Bill grew up on Market Day frozen meals, so he is just trying to make up for lost time. Bill prefers to cook over being cooked for and loves Mexican cuisine (He thinks the taco is the most perfect food ever created). Bill lives with his wife Jenny in Des Plaines and thanks her for her willingness to try anything he makes. 

Bobby -  Bobby is a man - a bearded man that butchers hogs, brews beer, and grills. Legends maintain that he was born this way, but it is not so, he was once a boy. Born and raised in Peoria Illinois, Bobby cultivated his pallet on Avanti’s Gondolas, Leonardo’s Pizza, and his parents’ delicious home cooking. After living in West Africa and China; his travels left him with an insatiable appetite for all the varied cuisines that Chicago has to offer. Although he is on a law school budget, he enjoys dining with his girlfriend and fellow poster, Megan.

Jess - Upon graduating from Indiana University (where her diet consisted of pizza and grilled cheese sandwiches), Jess moved to St. Louis to join Teach For America. It was there that she was exposed to culinary treats from the Brothers 1800, and weekly endeavors with fellow corps members for 'Ethnic Food Night' or EFN. The move back to Chicago provided for more impressive food adventures, and was when her fiance, Keith Zander (yes, the one and only self titled Editor in Chief of Food Babies) began his exploration of smoked meats. She thoroughly enjoys baking, and most recently is on the search for the perfect banana bread. 

Keith - Keith was introduced to great food by his Italian grandmother, master of Sunday "Gravy." However, his love of food really began in college where he had his first, magical taste of authentic smoked BBQ. While teaching in St. Louis, Keith developed a passion for fresh ingredients living down the street from a farmers market, allowing him and his roommates (the Brothers 1800) to experiment with new ingredients (beaver, raccoon, etc.) and cooking methods. Now back home in Chicago, Keith lives with fellow Food Baby Jess and is working on mastering the craft of smoking and curing meats of all types while attempting to maintain a respectable cholesterol level.

Megan - Megan was born and raised in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. Her food loving roots started in a family that appreciated dining out and trying new cuisines. After spending some time eating lobster rolls in New England and various bush meats in West Africa, Megan came back to her home town in 2007. As a good Midwesterner, she loves her meat and potatoes, but is willing to drop some dough for haute cuisine. Her weaknesses are eggs, mushrooms, and all crispy forms of pork. She lives in Logan Square with her boyfriend and fellow Food Baby, Bobby.  

Scott -  Scott has lived and eaten in Chicago most of his life. Born to parents whose motto might as well have been, "the blander the better!" Scott began cooking for himself at a young age out of necessity. He started small - Cheerios for dinner and so forth - but soon he was stealing the family Cuisinart and hauling it off with him the college. After college he went to cooking school in Colorado and now works as an attorney in Chicago. Scott lives with Allison, his wife to be, who graciously puts up with his excessive collection of cooking tools and gadgets.






 Stay tuned for the first food post tomorrow.

-Keith