If I had to choose another career, I would definitely be a zoologist. Since I was a little girl, I have been fascinated by the animal kingdom, and have spent a decent amount of my free time learning about the habitats and diets of creatures both big and small. In college, I studied physical anthropology and for a while was especially obsessed with primates, but the behaviors of all animals -- from puppies to parrots, butterflies to buffalo -- interest me endlessly. I am one of those people who can watch footage of a lion hunt all afternoon or be transfixed by Shark Week on the Discovery Channel for days. Some might even say I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to animals. I'm already considered a food geek, so why not add another title to my resume? You can imagine how happy I was when I was told that not only would my first challenge of the season take place at the Lincoln Park Zoo, but that it would involve dishes based on the eating habits of a selection of some of the inhabitants. That evening also gave me a chance to chat with a roomful of like-minded people who were just as excited about what gorillas and penguins like to eat.