I'm a kiwi girl who loves to cook! We have a beautiful big, blended family of 5 kids so I get a lot of practice! Every second weekend all the kids go to their other parents for the weekened and that's when the romantic gourmet in me can come out and play. Baking, homemade walnut bread, thai inspired food, mexican dishes, vegetarian canneloni, stuffed field mushrooms, lentil and fetta salad, chicken and cashew stir fry, split pea and ham soup, mussels with lemon grass, chili and coconut milk, peach cobbler, chocolate self-saucing pudding, vietnamese rice paper rolls, sushi.... Once a year in the height of a hot New zealand summer on a day none of the children know is coming...the annual icecream dinner is served. It is literally a mountain of 5 different kinds of icecream with wafers, hersheys sauce, marshmellows, m&m's and whipped cream. Okay, it's not really a 'cooking' tradtion but it makes up for all the homecooked meals I make them eat with spinach in them, hee hee, and they all love me for it! I have had a lot, really! But my latest invention is the stuffed portabello mushrooms with basil pesto, cashews, breadcrumbs and brie...soooo heavenly. Trying to save time by microwaving whole eggs in the microwave. They exploded. It was a long time ago okay?!!!