Elie Nassar (FoodMan) Steps Down

[Chris Amirault]

As we just announced here, Elie Nassar is stepping down from his role as an eGullet Society volunteer. As host in Texas and Middle East & Africa, Elie has contributed greatly to our knowledge of food and cooking.

Please use this topic for food-related reminiscences about Elie's tenure. For personal notes of thanks, please use the personal messenger system.

I'm sure that we'll still see FoodMan around eG Forums, contributing tasty charcuterie and snainiya. Thanks, Elie!

[Jake]

Elie, thank you so much for teaching me more about Middle Eastern food, the more I broaden my knowledge, the more I love it. Your recipes were always sensational as well! I will look forward to your continued contributions!

[Smithy]

Elie, you were the first person I "met" who could tell me, in English I could understand, how to cook his native foods when the cookbooks weren't clear. My Arabic isn't good enough (yet) to communicate with my Egyptian friends to learn in detail what they do; I didn't know any Lebanese well enough to ask about that cuisine...until you came along. Your tutorial in the eGCI has been helpful, as have your posts in the Middle Eastern forum. I hope your stepping down means you'll have more time for the "fun" postings.

Thanks very much for your steady hand and guidance at the helm of that forum - it's a lot of work, I can see, and you've done it well!

[Pan]

Elie's great posts on the regional Italian threads should also be noted. Elie, I hope you continue to have the time and inclination to post those great photos!

[Richard Kilgore]

It has been a pleasure working with you over the past several years, Elie.

Elie has been an articulate reporter on fine dining in Houston, and has contributed informative and delicious posts to discussions on a wide variety of food traditions on both the savory and sweet side. In addition, he has contributed substantially to a number of eG Spotlight presentations over the years. Elie also did a great job weekly with the Houston area eG Food Media Digest and organized a couple of memorable events for Houston area members of the society.

I'll look forward to Elie's future contributions to our knowledge and pleasure in cooking and pastry and baking of French, Lebanese, mediterranean and Italian foods...and whatever takes his food fancy.

Thanks, Elie!

[ronnie_suburban]

Like so many great folks here, Elie's contributions are distinctive, compelling and remarkably varied. He cooks just about everything under the sun and he bakes, too. He's also an accomplished charcutier, an astute and informed shopper, an adventurous eater and a helluva writer, on top of it all.

Not only did I have the pleasure of volunteering here alongside Elie for several years, but I recently had the chance to meet him in person and he is every bit as engaging and charming in person as he is 'on-line.'

Elie, I've learned a ton over the years via your instructive and informative posts. I hope that I'll continue to have the pleasure in the future. Don't be a stranger. Please keep in touch and keep us up to date on whatever you're working on.

Take care,

=R=