I'm 31 and have been cooking since I was about 15. My mom was not a good cook, so my talent grew from necessity rather than being inherited. Cheesecake is my favorite dessert to cook, especially since I can hold my own with any professional produced cheesecake. I also like cooking with fire...no better time to grill than during the winter. The only cooking tradition that I grew up with was eating out at restaurants. I'm still in the process of creating my own traditions.....other than the winter grilling of course. The first time I hosted a Christmas party for my department from work. I had a large turkey in the oven and a ham shank on the grill. I took a day off to pull everything together and somehow it all came together. I even got to eat while the food was hot. Another triumph was when I made samosas for a Kenyan friend of mine. It was the first time I made them and I got great complements from her and her mom. Not bad for an American to impress a Kenyan with their own cuisine. The first and only time I tried to make bagels. they turned into these balls of dough with little flavor. I figure that I forgot to add something, probably salt. They were more work that was worth it.