Hello all, I am a 27y/old computer security specialist who loves to cook (among other things). I started cooking when I was four with my mother and grandmother. Cooking with my family for thanksgiving and christmas are some of my fondest childhood memories. By the time I was eight, I was cooking full meals for my family while my mother was working. I guess this led to my current compulsion to feed people (probably inherited from my Polish grandmother to whom everyone is always "wasting away"). My cooking has evolved over the years to the point where now almost everything I cook is a presentation (event the quick and easy items). Dinners for my wife, and any random guests. Baked goods for everyone, from co-workers to random acquaintances. Pies would have to be number one...I can still remember the exact smell of my grandmothers apple pie and sweet potato pie that she always made for Christmas dinner. The first time I cooked for my in-laws, I made a baked pepper chicken with potatos, carrots, and stuffing on the side. Of course I also made dessert (floating clouds: merengue clouds floating on a vanilla custard base in a decorative dish). All of this was put together in the 500 square foot apartment we were in at the time. Well, I made chicken breasts for my wife and myself one night. I decided to use a white pepper powder that I had bought at Trader Joes in order to add a little bit of hot on top of the regular spices I use. What I didn't know was that this white pepper was hotter than any serrano or habanero pepper that I had ever tasted. One teaspoon of this pepper turned this meal into an inedible mess. I did learn to always try my spices (especially the hot ones) personally by themselves prior to cooking with them.