I am a graduate student finishing my masters in June. I have been cooking with my mom ever since I can remember but really taken off with it on my own since college. I love to cook and am always trying new things and reinventing old things. I love all kinds of food. I especially love soups, pastas, and baking. I have probably tried 20 chocolate chip cookie recipes in search of that perfect one. I also love creating the presentation, appetizers are a lot of fun to get creative with. One must try recipe is the Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies! My family is German so I love cooking recipes that have been passed down through the family. We have family christmas drink called Wassail that is to die for, along with some traditional German dishes. Anything with sauerkraut and you cant go wrong! Ahh well perfecting soups and baked good that are temperamental is always triumph. The biggest triumphs for me are when I take a basic idea and then create something all my own and have it turn out wonderfully. Well no specifics come to mind but I know there have been many a things that were less than desired and a few that outright sucked. Sometimes vegan dishes and be a dismal flop.