I must have lived on the Mediterranean in a previous life because I am forever drawn to recipes with olive oil, garlic, eggplant, tomatoes, capers, basil, lamb, chicken, fish...Greek, Provencal, Italian. My mother was born a New Englander, but spent a great deal of time in the South, while my Father brought his Chinese heritage to the family kitchen. Needless to say our cupboards were always stocked with food items not often seen together. When my children were small and I was a stay at home mom I received as a gift volumes one and two of Julia Child's Art of French Cooking. For 3 years I labored to produce each dish, cover to cover at least once. There are no tragedies in cooking so long as pizza is still being delivered and Asian grocery stores are open on Christmas Day!