I grew up in a very food centric family and started learning about the workings of a kitchen as soon as I could stand on a chair by the stove. Creme Brulee, Cheesecake, Steak au poivre When I was a child one sunday a month we had fried dough for lunch! The dough would rise while we were at church so my mother could fry it up GBD as soon as the oil was hot.(not very healthy, but sometimes you have to live a little) I made a very authentic from scratch batch of Hot and Sour soup for my husband for his birthday. It was a lot of work, but worth it. One year I made a cheesecake that separated in the oven while it cooked, YUCK. I was supposed to deliver it as the next morning, so I had to start over again with no time to spare.