At 29 years of age I have over fifteen years experience in the kitchen. I made my first pot of coffee at eight years of age and have been hooked ever since. By the age of ten I was assisting my parents in the kitchen and by fifteen I was cooking large dinners on my own. My father worked a number of years in the food industry as a chef and both my mom and dad come from a long line of talented home cooks. Cooking and baking are hobbies that I very much enjoy. Another is collecting cookbooks. I enjoy cooking overall but must admit that I am a dessert queen! Amongst my specialties lie: Red Velvet Cake, Carrot Cake, various cheesecakes, sweet potato pie, pumpkin pie, lemon meringue pie, flan and like a true Puerto Rican - tembleque! I hail from a large Hispanic family. My parents sought any excuse to host large family get togethers with tons of music and good food. Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve dinners required days worth of prep work but it was all worth it !! I can usually master a recipe pretty much at the first try. I always make a recipe at least twice. The first time I follow the exact recipe and jot down any changes to be made. The second time I tweek it to my specifications and make it my own. NO ONE is allowed to taste my first try at a recipe unless it turns out good! I made my first lemon meringue pie at twelve. Lemon meringue was my dad's favorite dessert in the entire world! I was so eager to bake him the pie that I couldn't wait for the egg whites to reach rrom temperature prior to making the meringue. IT WAS A DISASTER! Instead of meringue I ended up with a soupy mess! I HAVE SINCE LEARNED MY LESSON!