You can tell from my screen name that I was in the Marine Corps. That means I'm wild about creases in my shirts and pants, hospital corners on my bed, and having everything just so. Most of my OCD tendencies help out a lot in the kitchen. My experince cooking, while says 20+years is a little skewed. The first ten years or so was just Ramen noodles, mashing potatoes for my mom, and eggs and bacon. It has been only recently, being a husband to woman who is a horrible cook and a father to a little guy that loves to eat, that I've started cooking real meals. Lasagna (no boil noodles only), turkey and artichoke heart stuffed shells, any sort of red or white meat (I generally stay away from fish but am experimenting), soup, chili, stews, and other meals of the like. Our traditions have changed so much over the years. Now that us kids are all older, we do the cooking at our houses, or it is pot luck when we can all get together. Christmas cookies have always been a tradition. I got out of that one a long time ago though as it seemed to become more of a chore than a cheer. Does that work? I recently made a chicken and wild rice soup that I would put up against anybody's, my brother says my lasagna is the best he has ever had, and my mother in law will never use another lasagna recipe thanks to mine. Chicken pot pie. Rock hard potatoes and carrots, a crust that had the bottom fall apart, and just too much liquid. My poor wife and father in law ate it though with a smile and all.