Carter and Jeffi Combs

“Carter’s Burgundy mushrooms are requested at every Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s event we host,” this couple explains, adding, “Jeffi’s 7-layer dip is requested for every party, whether we host or attend somewhere else.”

Carter is a barbershop singer, regularly performing in two quartets as well as in a chorus. If he could pick any profession, however, he’d be a “knockabout philanthropist.” “Seems self-explanatory, don’t you think?” he says.

What’s even more self-explanatory is how Carter learned to cook. “Mom Combs,” he says simply. “She knew how to make sure there was always enough to eat for 12 or more (I am one of 10 children), even when there wasn’t enough food.”

Alice Faherty

After spending 30 years as a nurse, Alice now does volunteer tutoring, helping students earn their GEDs at a local learning center. In addition to tutoring others, she also keeps learning herself. Her most recent culinary discovery? “Toasted soy beans from Market Basket stores in Massachusetts,” she says.

Among her family and friends, Alice is famous for her delicious fruitcake—and for an unusual hobby related to fruit. “I carve peach seed monkeys,” she explains.

Claudette Forbes

This human resources professional gets raves for her tasty crab cakes. If you’re not lucky enough to sample hers, however, Claudette can recommend the ones in Savannah, Georgia. “Crab cakes are one of my favorite foods, and I find some of the best there,” she says.

Claudette’s also been collecting cookbooks since she was 10 years old—ever since the day her mother bought her a set at the grocery store. “I still have that first set!” she exclaims. “I used to have about 1000 cookbooks in my collection, but over the past year or so have whittled it down to about 600!”

Lynn Kupper

Although Lynn is a busy senior tax manager, she makes time for a little leisure, though her hobbies have changed in recent years. “I used to have a number of hobbies, including reading, before my 5-year-old son, Trevor, was born,” she explains. “My hobbies now include playing with trains, which is Trevor’s passion.”

Among her neighbors, Lynn is known for her Chinese garlic spare ribs. “Our neighborhood has quarterly progressive dinners. At one of the most recent dinners, the theme was Chinese, so I made the ribs for our assigned appetizer course. They were a hit; any a number of neighbors requested the recipe.”