I am a Web designer living in Texas with my husband. I love the flavors and ingredients of the southwest; it's so different - and so much spicier! - than the southern cooking I grew up with. We try to cook at home to be healthier, and I find cooking a wonderful creative outlet. My new favorite thing to make is quesadillas - they're so quick and delicious. I love baking bread, and I'm getting better at it. Chicken a la Reine Soup, from the now-unavailable Disney cookbook _Cooking With Mickey_ Volume I, was a mainstay of my husband's childhood, and now we make it together. Same goes for many of his grandmother's recipes, including monkey cake, mandelbread, and lemon cake. My family's favorites are my mom's brisket and my grandmother's sweet potatoes. I just baked four huge, beautiful loaves of challah using the recipe from the new cookbook _Quick and Kosher_. Most of my bread baking attempts have resulted in lackluster results, so I was THRILLED this time. I have thrown out whole pots of pasta tossed in questionable sauces, and there was the time I dusted fresh-made doughnuts with potato starch instead of powdered sugar....