Globalfoodie started as a fleeting idea last year after coming home from Germany. I finished a few articles for various magazines and still had heaps of restaurants, recipes and food-related news I wanted to share. I had just as much from an earlier Ireland and Middle East trip.

This website is the result and Globalfoodie has already become a group effort geared toward food, cultural cuisine and edibles. A handpicked cadre of talented writers and columnists will serve stories, columns and reviews every month. We’ll take you to restaurants, home kitchens, and chefs all over the world. We’ll even throw in recipes.

If you are a foodie you don’t need a definition. If not, well there are a few telling signs. My mother was a “foodie” before “macaroni” became “pasta” or the term “foodie” even existed. She was a cupboard cook, not just out of budgetary necessity, but because of her expertise with any vegetable, meat, spice or dairy product. She would go to a restaurant order a meal and then come home and recreate the dish. As a child I resented eating her homemade pizza with its thick hand-kneaded crust covered with her tomato sauce and hand-grated mozzarella. Yes, it was delicious, but foolishly I yearned for those boxes filled with the ordinary pizza that the neighbors ordered. Eggrolls, she made them as well or better than any Chinese restaurant. She could cook, bake or create anything.

As the years rolled by I realized my mother taught me what no cookbook ever could: the love of food, its preparation and so much more it would fill these pages—or her own cookbook. An abundance of summer tomatoes became the salad that people now call bruschetta. Overripe bananas were turned into banana bread.

I recall flipping through her cache of cookbooks and finding her perfectly handwritten corrections and additions that would improve the recipes. She even knew when measurements were off and would cross out flour, vanilla, baking powder and egg amounts to make recipes workable. I have stacks of her and my aunt’s recipes—in that same perfect handwriting that I now treasure and keep on my cookbook shelf. So, when I did reviews for the local paper and then for the Boston Globe she often came with me to offer her assessments. Although she never realized it, she probably knew as much as the authors who wrote those books. Some of you probably do, too.

She passed that love on to her six children and I thank her for that. Falling asleep reading cooking and food-related books is one of my all-time favorite pleasures. Ruth Reichl sure knows how to bring life and food together with incredible passion.

I have passed my love of food to my daughter Rachel, who has been a foodie since she was about 5. She’s now almost 23 and comes to life in any kitchen.

All the writers and columnists in these pages are foodies. Even Judy Kirkwood who pens the “Why Should I Cook?” column loves food. She just doesn’t want to be the one cooking it. Every month this talented writer, one who has written for Executive Traveler, National Geographic Traveler, and a host of other prestigious magazines, will be sharing her thoughts on food preparation.

Nancy Stern teaches Afternoon Tea at senior centers and libraries. “She gets it right,” according to English tea-drinking women who have taken her class. Read her Afternoon Tea column and enjoy the recipe she shares. In fact, it’s quite similar to the one my mother created. In the future Nancy plans on writing entire pieces on scones, tea services, delicate sweets and other related tea topics.

Stephanie Oswald, editor of travelgirl and a former CNN reporter, will tell us of how she manages to travel with her new daughter and keep her fed and happy while on the road. Her column, Have Child, Will Travel should also fall under the adventure section.

Veronica Stern, our cake-making genius, tells us how to bake, frost and decorate Sweet Confections.” Yes, she is the daughter of Nancy Stern. As with me, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree—or the pie in Veronica’s case.

Amy Carmosino just loves food. We met when we both worked at a local newspaper years ago. I have fond memories of our daily lunch discussions. At the time our favorite was the Gourmet Kitchen where we ordered the signature Turkey Terrific. We savored every bite. (Yes, we are going to ask for the recipe.) Carmosino is also Globalfoodie’s web designer and artist. She has done an outstanding job turning ideas into reality. She’ll be covering the New England Diner column with her soon-to-be-husband, Joe.

Daniel LaGarde is the executive chef for Hilton Hawaiian Village® Beach Resort & Spa located on Waikiki Beach. The 22-acre compound has more than a few restaurants that LaGarde oversees. He’ll be answering your questions every month. I’m not going to tell you any more. You’ll have to read this month’s Chef Profile to find out about this incredible chef.

Rosemary Minati Slutsky is yet another friend and food fanatic from New York. Give her a complicated recipe and you’ll be feasting on it within a day or two. Anything that comes out of her stove or oven is always perfection, and it’s a pleasure to sit at family’s table and see what she’s created. RMS (my favorite moniker for her) will be reviewing cookbooks.

Roberta Wolman is another cookbook reviewer from Massachusetts. This English teacher and life-long foodie is excited to share her love of anything edible.

Maureen Costello, a Boston Globe writer and the former Special Sections editor for CNC, a large Massachusetts newspaper chain, has been featured on MSNBC.com and other sites. She’ll be heading the Roasts and Toasts column. There she’ll teach the finer points of wine and the differences in coffee.

He may not cook in the kitchen, but Ron Stern sizzles behind the camera. He is our go-to photographer for stock or test kitchen shots. His step-by step pictures appear on the Sweet Confections column.

Rants & Raves is relegated to food-related annoyances and kudos for unusual and spectacular products. You’ll be hearing from all of us in that column.

Have to run. Lots of deadlines for GF and magazines.

Although this will come out monthly, I’ll be writing to you from the road, so check “From the Editor” once a week.

Enjoy please–and then make something wonderful.