A blond guy’s attempt at Armenian chickpea salad

That was the topic line of an email I got the other day from Michael Huber, who was definitely a blond guy last I saw him.


On the other hand, I still had hair.


Mike and I worked together more than a few years ago at The Miami Herald, where he was a stand-out editor and writer.


He went on to teach journalism at Florida International University and co-authored a college textbook on writing before moving on again to become a lawyer.


Now he’s back to plying his primary skills with a venture offering a range of editorial services to authors, businesses and anyone else who needs help with words.


I know plenty of people do because I’m in the same line of work. Mike is a smart guy and a genuine talent, so I have no doubt he’ll be busy as a one-armed typesetter when words spreads that he’s available for hire.


The good news for now is that he had enough time on his hands to discover our Web site and dive right in.


“I’m soaking garbanzos now (no canned beans!) so I can make your chickpea salad recipe tonight,” he wrote. His follow-up email included the picture above, and this note: “The garbanzo salad turned out great, if I say so myself.”


This is a huge part of what makes this blog so much fun. We hear from people around the world who are passionate about food. Most are Armenians or have Armenian family members.


But it’s a real kick to hear that we’ve spread the word far enough to reach a blond guy — and to make our food sound interesting enough to entice him to give it a try.


It’s even better, of course, to hear from an old friend.