I'm a Southerner but learned a long time ago that Southern cooking, my mother's style, though yummy, wasn't so healthy. Have been married 39 years and have been "reading" cookbooks and collecting recipes at least that long. I've learned how to take recipes I like but aren't so healthy and make changes to make them more healthy. People often ask me for recipes. I have a hard time giving out my recipes because I rarely follow a recipe. I intuitively know what to change/add any recipe to make it tastier or to suit my taste. I thoroughly enjoy cooking. Especially for my apprectiative husband.The hobbies listed in the profile doesn't include writing so I couldn't check that. Writing is, in fact, my favorite hobby and use it as often as possible.Have recently started a small "Newsletter" for our small 50 house development. One way to use my hobby. I hope to add a section on recipes in the near future. I love soups. Could live off these, but they're a little too much in the summer so cook these mostly in the winter. Frequently experiment with soup recipes. We don't eat red meat so I enjoy vegetable and fruit dishes; especially organic. I like cooking just about anything with cheese in it or beans (not green) because they are our major sources of protein. I grew up eating only garden fresh vegetables so it seems normal for me not to eat canned veggies; some frozen are OK. Traditional Christmas menus are my family favorites; though recently I've begun changing the traditional and trying out new menus for Christmas. My mother was famous for her traditional Christmas Brunswick stew, chocolate pound cake with fudge icing and candied sweet potatoes. I never have been able to duplicate hers and neither have any of my family; and we've all tried. I've had many over the years. My first was probably cornbread. Sounds simple, but Southern cornbread is a traditional southern food hard to duplicate. Unlike other versions it never has sugar in it. My mother made great spaghetti sauce, but she used beef. I tried many things and finally came up with a tasty version without hamburger meat. There are many. Like anything else practice makes perfect. My fist birthday cake as a newly-wed was a disaster. It was for my grandmother. I made it 3 times before it didn't fall. I never did master the art of Southern Fried Chicken. Again my mother made the best. When I stopped frying food years ago I stopped trying to fry chicken.