Scott Hutcheson from Indiana

I'm glad to be part of this new blog. Anne suggested that our first post should be an introduction, so here is mine.

I'm Scott Hutcheson and I'll be posting here as the representative from Indiana which has been my home since 1995 when my wife and I moved to here for me to pursue a PhD at Purdue University. Somewhere along the way we decided Indiana was a good place to call home. Since that time we've procreated a couple of native Hoosiers and I think we're here to stay.

I have a dual career as both a food writer and an economic development strategist. Occasionally those two interests intersect when I work with people to help them develop community food systems.

I've been writing most of my life and had my first piece published when I was 16 but it was nearly 24 years later before I started to write about food. I do most of the cooking in our two-career family and began putting food and writing together when I become the weekly food columnist for my local newspaper. The column, The Hungry Hoosier, garnered some attention and is now syndicated in several Indiana newspapers. The Hungry Hoosier "brand," if you will, has now expanded to include a weekly radio program, a regular feature on Indianapolis Public Television, and a website. I'm also a frequent contributor to the Indianapolis Monthly magazine.

I am writing a book with fellow Indiana food writer (and Indiana University political science professor) Christine Barbour. Our book, Home Grown Indiana: A Food Lover's Guide to Good Eating in the Heartland (Indiana University Press) is due in 2008. If you want more of the resume type stuff, go here.

I have no formal culinary training but I love to cook for and eat with family and friends and I think I've got a good handle on Indiana flavor. As for what you'll likely see and not see in this space - I'm not a ranter nor am I particularly political in my writing. I don't even consider myself a foodie. In fact, I don't really think of myself as a food writer. I write about interesting people and places and food seems always show show up in these stories.

So, I'll cover a pretty wide range of content: farmers, chefs, and food entrepreneurs; small-town cafes, interesting suburban finds, eclectic neighborhood haunts; wine tastings and church pitch-ins; award-winning Indiana caviar, kobe beef, and goat cheese; and people-pleasing Hoosier breaded tenderloins, state fair ribeye sandwiches, and sugar cream pie.

I hope you enjoy the site and learn a little bit about Indiana. If you want, you can drop me a line here.