I just love to cook and although I considered going to culinary school, I realized that I enjoy cooking as a way to relax...not for my job! I'm not much of a baker though. I'm back in school for graphic design and also love spending time outside in the summer gardening, bbq-ing, or just relaxing. I'm the worst at picking favorites...I just can't do it! I will say that I try to cook on the grill every chance I get during the summer. Once or twice a year, the women in the family get together to make Lebanese stuffed grape leaves. My Grandma got the recipe from a Lebanese friend back in the 50's. We make HUGE batches and everyone helps form the filling then rolling it in the delicious salty leaves. Despite the fact that we make so much, they never last long! I like to try so many different cooking techniques and ethnic cuisines; so if I manage to get one just right on the first try, I feel pretty darn good about myself. (I can tell when my guinea pig husband truly enjoys a new dish or if he's just being sweet and pretending it's the best thing he's ever had) When I was still in my fledgling cooking era, I bragged to everyone at work that I could make an awesome lasagna. To save time, I used no boil noodles and didn't follow the directions exactly. Then, I realized I didn't have enough mozzarella cheese, so I thought I'd add a little cheddar (yikes). It was quite possibly the worst tasting lasagna anyone could have ever made. I was pretty embarrassed; especially since I was tooting my own horn about how great it was supposed to be.