I'm an academic primary care physician in the suburbs north of New York City (I teach at a medical college). Hobbies include science fiction and fantasy (books, TV and film), musical theatre and computers. I also have a fascination with the late Middle Ages, and do re-creations of that period; my particular interests are heraldry (coats of arms), brewing and vintning, and cooking! Chicken soup with matzo balls, lasagne Our background is Eastern European Jewish - things like latkes (potato pancakes) for Chanukah, home made challah bread and lokshen kugel (noodle pudding) for Rosh HaShana, and chicken soup with knaidlach (matzo balls) and matzo farfel for Passover. I miss both my grandmothers. The New Year's Eve I made a whole beef Wellington... As a teen cook (I was a latchkey kid and made most of the family dinners from junior high on), I occasionally had recipes that I was asked not to make again. I only had one meal we threw away and ordered pizza: I used a tablespoon of ground black pepper in the hamburgers, instead of a teaspoon...