groups and boards......

[shroomgirl]

Most here have nominal expendable time, so joining groups or being active on boards is a major commitment. What do you guys belong to, and why did you choose it?

[panini]

about 5 yrs ago I was jumping around finding this and that and settled on CT. It's the only place I go. I could just not keep up with multiples. I always have some thing to say and could not keep up with anything.
I have browsed other food boards and just don't see that welcoming feeling when a newbie or quiet poster, posts. I know I'm partial but I don't think I have ever encountered negetivity of condesending attitudes here.
I do have a buddie from yrs ago who switched to another big board who is a moderator, they were basically asked not to have great participation on lik3e boards. What's up with that?
pan

[Pete]

I spend a good amount of time surfing the web. It's my way of relaxing. I'll surf for anything that catches my eye, though I mainly surf for food & beverage sites, renaissance fairs and re-enactment sites, music sites, and the "flavor of the month", often times technology sites.

As for boards I belong to and regularly contribute to, there are only 2, besides here, that have kept my interest for more than a few months.

http://www.beeradvocate.com
and
http://www.boardgamegeek.com

I love both these sites, and their huge databases means I can spend hours exploring these sites.

[Nentony]

Cheftalk I visit pretty much daily. EGullet a couple times a week. I rarely contribute there but enjoy reading. As for non food related, Aqualink,an aquarium site and BoaterEd, a boating site.

Tony

[Laprise]

I have 20 years experience, but I no longer have cooks, I work for myself as a private chef...
This is a great place to help young cooks by answering a few questions a week. I like to give my two cents....

[chrose]

I have no other home
Actually I belong to a few other groups, Ice Hockey and Steve Vai, most of the others that I have joined were for specific info and I only occasionally visit them.
I have actually garnered some good on line friends here that I look forward to raising a glass with one day. So CT keeps me connected to the world I retired from and allows me to keep my toes in the proverbial sand.
So thanks for that Nicko!

[cape chef]

I have to say CT has been my home for over 6 years now. It is the best board out there in my opinion because of the amount of knowledge, but more importantly, the feeling of community.

I do enjoy Bruce Coles site. sautewednesday.com a lot of excellent links. I also (read only) opinionatedabout.com for there restaurant reviews. There are some heavy world travelers on that site.

[panini]

I also have other places I do frequent, I like the NYtimes, Jensen Healey Soc. comet cyclone club,lagunamadre.com etc.
I just don't feel comfortable on other food sites, I don't know? I'm a reader but can't help not to open my mouth, CT is the only place I do that.

[shroomgirl]

lololol......ok cumputer boards too! It never occurred to me that a website was aka a board....non-techie, computers are just way cool typewriters that make corrections easier and save stuff if you can figure out how to do that.
(just kidding, not really.)

I totally agree with you all about Cheftalk. CC and I joined during Tony Bourdain's live gig 6 years ago July.

So, the boardrooms and groups outside of Cheftalk where I interact with flesh and a voice are:

CFSSA: sustainable agriculture board with members from across Mo. that talk policy/procedures. Housed at University of Mo in Columbia.

SLU Gradens to Table Grant: consulting with farmers, chefs, inner city schools on locally produced products and how to prepare them.

SLOW FOOD: international group devoted to slowing down eating, producing and enjoying a quality of life.

St. Louis Culinary Society, professional local group where the members make their money from food....writing, cooking, owning wholesale biz, food stylists, etc....this year I'm program chair.

Chef's Collaborative, national group that supports ecological sustainable agriculture.

ISES, international special event planners.

There's chef d' cuisine, chien, loads of various wine groups, pastry and chocolatier groups, some certify members with standardized testing....
PTA for your kids, SOS, or various AIDS groups....there are so many out there it's interesting to hear about them. Several of my cooking buddies donate to benefits because a friend asked....numerous work on Star Chefs....some are active in the Originals.....boyscouts, girlscouts....

[cape chef]

Opps, sorry shroom LOL

IAFW, International association of food and wine

FENI, Food service educators networking international

IACC, International association of conference centers

[shroomgirl]

do they have conferences that interest you?
Is IACC a holdover from the club days or is it relative to you now?

I went to Fancy Food Show in Chicago and New York for several years after a while they looked the same!

Catering Plus (Michael Roman) has catering/event conferences in Los Vegas in Jan. several local caterers went, the feedback was interesting....they enjoyed it and would go back.

Mo. has a farmer's market association that I participate in but will not join, I'll go as a guest to functions. The Dept of Ag who has very little to do with the group has a caveat that their logo goes on your advertising....does not work for me unless they are funding it.

Chef d Cuisine and ACF have some interesting meetings, I got to learn more about seafood once....boy was that an interesting class! Shelf life of a fish.
Just not into certifying....I'm already certifiable!!!! Their competitions are a blast to watch, there are little tips in cutting time or preparing a dish or competing that always come through.

CIRA, or the STL Originals.....group of independant restaurantuers that advertise and have promotions for the group. This year I considered it but dues ended up being $2000. $750 for a new member + a special machine to give out Cards as bonuss for your clients/customers. When I called their reservation line looking for info on the caterers involved they weren't on the ball....if your a restaurant it's a good deal, if your a bigger caterer and can overlook some of the shtuff it's ok.....I chose to spend 1/5 of the dues and join an event planning group.

Can't believe I forgot....Missouri Mycological Society...aka wild shroom hunters. This group is a constant. It's a great group of people who enjoy being outdoors, nature and eating!!! Morels are difficult to find in Mo. at least for me, they are the same color as leaves, they are usually under the leaves and dangit there maybe one instead of a lot....AND it's generally still nippy in April. What I love is taking a butane stove out to the site and cooking what's coming in.....the old timers give me a call when they find a large patch and think I'm a goddess for sauting their mushrooms. Boy when I add cream to morels my statis has risen even higher....where's that pedistal boys?!!!!! Several chefs have wanted to go out and forage but they don't wanna commit the time necessary....only one in the past five years shows up with a basket in hand. When it's a really good Chanterelle year I can harvest 70#'s without alot of major effort. There is nothing like walking out of the woods with a basket overflowing with fragrant shrooms.