I LOVE hot and spicy foods. My husband is at my mercy when it comes to cooking but he manages to survive the heat. I was never exposed to intense family cooking traditions but I do know that my mother makes excellent Mexican food because her father owned a Mexican restaurant. My newest obsession though is planning for Thanksgiving. I just love making tons of food for like four people to eat...hehe! Ohhh...the tragedy that is French Onion soup. I couldn't even pretend it was edible.