Growing up with four younger brothers, I learned to cook at an early age and became the expert at homey comfort food. Homemade mac and cheese, sausage gravy, tetrazzinni-these are all perennial favorites. I've also become known for my cookies: two improvised and perfected recipes created with my mother. They always fetch top-dollar at the bake sales. While I enjoy baking, I always have fun with the one-pan dinner recipes: ingredients thrown in at random until something delicious emerges. Experimentation is always interesting, and sometimes fruitful. Holiday baking season: we typically spend two to three days preparing cookies, tarts, bars, and other sweet things, then go over to my aunt's house where she and her kids have been doing the same thing all week. The exchange ensues, with each family receiving 10-20 types of holiday baked goods. When I was fourteen, I made the most massive and elaborate chocolate cake ever, complete with homemade ganache and raspberry sauce. I was pretty proud of myself! Once I misread a banana bread recipe that I hadn't made in quite awhile, adding tablespoons of baking soda instead of teaspoons. Needless to say, there was a volcanic eruption in my oven!