I grew up in a household where my mother and grandmother loved to cook. From family traditions (my mother's side is Russian) to good old comfort food, ranging from lasagna to chicken pot pie or a pot roast, our house was the place to be on holidays or for feeding frenzies. When I moved away to college, I started to cook on my own, adding my own twists to my mother's standby favorites. They were a hit with friends and now I look forward to helping cater events with friends, parties or hosting dinners at my own home for those to enjoy. I'm known for my world renowned meatballs. I love to cook Italian fare, and have a spot in my heart for a good homemade chili or Mexican food. I don't use pre-mixed packages or sauces 99% of the time and I'm usually very picky when it comes to pasta sauce unless it's my own :) I live with a vegetarian now, and as a meat eater, I'm faced with a daily challenge to make satisfying, healthy and TASTY meals for the both of us to enjoy. I'm proud to say I can make a mean stir-fry, vegetarian pot pie, chili and know my way around a block of tofu, firm or soft! One day I attempted to make a veggie "Mexican Pizza" consisting of low carb tortillas, cheese, refried beans and spices. The idea sounded creative enough, and garnished with fresh cilantro, what could go wrong? Well, what actually occurred was a sad sight that looked more like a brown pie...you know, like the game piece in a Trivial Pursuit board game? The brown pie was too embarrassing to serve to my boyfriend. The tortillas were browned, the beans oozed out and the cheese blended with everything and just well, made the entire plate brown. To this day, if I mention anything with beans or tortillas, I am begged to not produce a brown pie!