Editor's note:

We are proud to introduce our latest family member, Chicago-based John Ryan. John's feature stories in the last two issues of the electronic Gourmet Guide were so well received that we asked him to become a regular columnist, and to our delight, he agreed. John has published his own newsletter, Just Good Food, for five years now. It is, as he says, "for people who love food but have a life." To better introduce you to him, we asked John to tell us a bit about himself and why he got into this business.

What makes people tick has been a fascination of mine all my life. Particularly people who are self-motivated and pro-active. From my experience, it seems that many people take a circuitous route to become cooking professionals or even dedicated amateurs. John's story is unique, but so are many others. If you have a story about how you became enamored with food and cooking, share it with us by emailing it to egg@foodwine.com, and marking it "My Food Story."

—Kate Heyhoe