As a child I was not permitted in the kitchen, so disapointing. Although a late bloomer I did catch up. I was a vegetarian for almost 20 years (used eggs and dairy products). For the last 12 years I use Scripturally clean meats. No pork or shell fish. My husband was born in Belize, Central America. As a result I have truely expanded the borders of my food preperation. Most dishes that I prepare have an Ethnic twist to them. Always want to learn more and experiment. Coming from a Jewish background and remembering what a GREAT cook my Grandma Lillie was, at an early age I learned to make blintzas and stuffed cabbage. Supposably I make the best (stuffed cabbage)and have had to mail it to Florida. I enjoy making diverse kinds of salads, main dishes, and baking. The simplicity can start at one or be gormet. Traditionally (now)I have learned to appreciate spicey foods and enjoy cooking that way, always keeping in mind who I'm serving to. You can always add heat and salt, but it's difficult to remove. Most all of my cookin does not back-fire. This is probably because I use Allrecipes.com and select my recipe by ratings. Usually takes the stress out of preparation. I made arecipe for chocolate cake, infact doubled it and made it more than once. Could not understand why I would burn it. Finally realized that my oven went coo-coo. Great excuse to get another one. Sometimes tragedies turn into triumphs. Most of all, ENJOY your cooking experiences and work with recipes that you can easily understand....HAPPY COOKING TO YOU ALL!!!!!