Can't touch the OP, but my fave was after I took my first stab at a brisket. I'm in VA, so I had zero brisket exposure, but I took lots of info from this site and did my best. My sister-in-law, who is from TX, went back for seconds (something she never does anywhere) and teared up a little, saying it reminded her of home and that my flavor profile was dead on. A Texan going for seconds is enough validation for me!