I am of French & Spanish back ground, and have been cooking since I was 12yrs of age.Through the years of growing up in New Orleans, La., I collected many Cajun,Creole, Italian,Spanish and French recipes while shopping at the French Market with my Mother every Saturday morning.My Mother would swap recipes with other shoppers at the Market.She made friends with many of the other shoppers and often was invited to their home for dinner.I was very fortunate to be able to learn cooking from my Mother and her three sisters who were also excellent cooks and made many mouth- watering meals over a period of 55 years.I am fortunate to still have copies of the recipes my Mother collected. Cajun, French, Spanish,Italian and other Creole dishes have always been my favorites to cook.I cook a lot of Seafood , Chicken, Gumbos,Etouffes and various Vegetable meals. My favorite Christmas Breakfast: Garlic Shrimp wrapped in bacon, Cajun scrambled eggs,Yellow Cheese Grits,Beignets,and Sparkling Wine. For Thanksgiving I always Cook a Cajun Deep Fried Turkey and my wife Kathy cooks all of the vegetables as side dishes.We usually have Friends over for Thanksgiving Dinner and they always rave over the Turkey. Cooking Chicken & Andouille Sausage Gumbo and Cajun Potato Salad to feed 125 friends, or Boiling 300 lbs.of live Crawfish, with corn on cob, onions,new potatoes,and Andouille Sausage in same pot to feed 50plus mouths.And drinking a cold Bud Lite. Not having enough Chicken Stock on hand and being 100 miles from a supply source. Now that's a bummer because just plain water is a NO NO.