Not cooking professionally now....but I used to cook for 300 every Wedneday, and for summer curch camps and retreats. Now I'm involved in the health (Home Health) industry, but still tend to bring something special whenever there's a potluck opportunity. I love making up original dishes...using new spices, blending new flavors according to what's in the pantry and what sounds good. Lately, it's been fresh dishes, Cranberry Waldorf Salad, Curried garlic dip, a twist on the Oriental Coleslaw... if i'ts quick and easy, I'm for it! My Mom was a true Southern gal. I learned to cook with lard and butter, and plenty of both. But I also learned how to make the dishes I cooked beautiful, and colorful, and spicy to boot. Our family favorites were Snappy (Beer) Cheese, super-spicy Chex Mix, Hot Brown sandwiches (borrowed from the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Ky), ANYTHING with gravy, and plenty of sweets!! The most I ever fed was 555 for breakfast one Easter Sunday. With LOTS of help and a lot of organization, it went off without a hitch!! The best goof was when I was making an old family favorite, Peanut Butter Pinwheels.....powdered sugar, milk, butter, peanutbutter...and for the vanilla flavoring,...I used liquid SMOKE!!