Petra Hildebrandt

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Bio

Petra Hildebrandt, better known as "FoodFreak" among foodie bloggers, used to work in the IT business until she decided to pursue a writing career a few years ago.

In the early days, growing up in a rural household with lots of fresh organic produce, cooking wasn't so much fun but rather a means of self-defense against her grandmother's hefty, substantial cooking. Soon enough, though, this turned into a hobby, and then a passion. Fresh herbs and foreign spices entered her menu, and she indulged in the cuisines of the world. Today, this self-taught chef is an outspoken advocate of quality foods and good cooking.

Armed with a degree in multimedia production and computer savvy since the days of Commodore 16 and Apple II, she has seen many facets of the IT world. Along the line she met other food geeks on the usenet, mailing lists and the Web, who discussed marinating pork with wine and herbs, and didn't consider artichoke an elaborated insult. Meanwhile, she spent her spare time with roleplaying games, reading (especially science books and scifi) and, of course, cooking for friends - from catering to a role player community to hosting huge Thanksgiving dinners. But what she likes best about cooking is to infect others with the joy of cooking and her passion for good food. Petra lives in Hamburg with her husband, a full-scale coffee geek.