Lauren Holditch, Cincinnati

There is no doubt in mind that I am a foodie. As an anthropology graduate student, I naturally have a passion for the nuances of culture. My study of people has taught me that there are few aspects of culture that people get more passionate about than the cuisine. This project is a wonderful combination of three of my greatest interests in life – food, culture and tourism. It was not even a question of being drawn to this project. It was practically tailor made for my interests.

Anthropology aside, I have always been fascinated with food itself. I have done a lot of international traveling in the past few years, and my fondest memories tend to involve local eateries. Though I have become lazy of late, I love to cook and try to recreate recipes I tasted abroad. My lack of cooking is mostly due to a lack of people to cook for, which brings me back to interest of food as a social activity. If we can organize a good time, I would love to have some group dinners. My place is small, but I would still love to host dinners.

To ask me my favorite food is a bit like asking me what my favorite emotion is. What my favorite food is totally depends on my mood, location, who I am with, the season, the time of day or night, and the list goes on. However, you’ll never see me turn down sushi or any items on the Tour of Italy menu at Olive Garden. Like most women, I will find any excuse to eat chocolate or ice cream, especially peppermint ice cream with a hard chocolate shell.

I haven’t had cable television in a long time, so I haven’t been able to enjoy the Food Network. However, I adore the History Channel series “American Eats.” I decided long before I heard about IFA that working for that show would be my dream job, and lucky for me, the two are very similar. I plan on bringing my ethnographic skills to the project, helping to preserve the food history that can be discovered along the many highways in Indiana. I hope our team's efforts will give others motive to share their experiences and preserve Indiana’s food culture, too.