I never thought that I would enjoy cooking. Growing up, the only cooking I did was flipping burgers at McDonald's while I was in high school. Now that I live on my own, it has become one of the most relaxing things that I do during the day. I actually look forward to it!! Well I adore desserts. I am constantly looking for great recipes to try - though I am picky as to what ingredients I will use. I've gotten pretty good at substituting ingredients to make a healthier dessert. I guess I just have an insatiable sweet tooth, and to keep from being 500 lbs, I am forced to make adjustments! Right now I'm pretty stuck on Black Bean Brownies : ) I also enjoy baking quick breads, pumpkin bread being my most favorite. I also love to cook pastas - whole wheat pasta only though. Anything pasta, and you've got my attention! My favorite pasta dish to cook is manicotti, it's delicious and gets rave reviews from my everyone. Other than pasta, I enjoy slow cooker soups (because they are impossible to mess up and usually come out delish) and anything with veggies - because they are so versitile. My family really doesn't have too many cooking traditions. The only two that I can think of is my grandmother's jam and my mother's pumpkin bread. My grandmother lives far away from me, but makes rhubarb jam every year. Whenever she and my grandpa come to visit, I always beg her to bring the jam with. And oh goodness, my mom makes some killer pumpkin bread! Everyone who tries it requests the recipe or demands it as their christmas gift. Literally. Cooking triumphs? Hmm...probably when I made Hot and Sour Soup (from this website) and it actually turned out tasting just like my favorite soup from the Chinese restuarant down the street. I was so excited! Really, though, anything that comes out tasting like it's suppose to is a triumph! Geez...tragedies aren't something to dwell on, but I suppose that the absolute worst would have to be when I was making a curry dish, and when I went to add the curry, the lid exploded off the spice bottle and shot curry everywhere!! It was on me, the carpet, the floor, the cat.. EVERYWHERE. and let me tell you what, that spice is one little bugger to clean up. It stains!!