I've been cooking since I was a pre-teenager (unless you count reheating cans of corn and things like that when I was really little!). Started with simple spaghetti and meatballs, grilled cheese / soup, pull taffy, rice krispie treats and basic things like that to feed my sister and myself when Mom was at work, and have been cooking ever since! Love to cook Italian, Indian, Mediterranean, Mexican and Spanish food! Have also been cooking my Pa Dutch specialties for well over 30 years. Still enjoy making them and eating them, especially chicken pot pie (boiled w/ homemade pot pie noodles); green beans, ham & potaties; and chicken corn soup w/ rivvels! My father's family was southern, so I make many of those dishes as well.. brunswick stew, country ham dishes, candied yams, corn custard, fried chicken, and greens. My husband adores my soups and stews.... he tells everyone he married me for my soup (tee-hee)! Who says the way to a man's heart is NOT through his stomach, anyway?! Sandtart cookies at Christmas; Chicken Pot Pie; Tollhouse Cookies; Crabcakes; Steamed Shrimp w/ Old Bay - Maryland style!. These were prominent players at all of our holiday celebrations when I was growing up and in my younger years. I still enjoy them and keep the traditions alive! Many of the things I mention in my favorites are actually things that are traditional to me and to my family... the Pa Dutch and Southern items, especially! Varied over the years! Over the years, I've gained confidence in souffles, sauces and gravies (complex and simple). Perhaps what I am happiest about is seeing my daughter becoming a greak cook in her own right, and seeing her make many of the traditional family recipes! There have been a few over the years.. but fortunately not too many. The worst experience I ever had was trying to make sweet and sour pork when I was in my very early 20s - using the recipe that came with my pressure cooker... I was making it for my parents who were visiting from out of town. They always loved sweet and sour pork. The recipe was edible, but wasn't at all like what they were used too, and it certainly wasn't like any chinese restaurant sweet and sour pork they ever had!!!! They were kind about it though. This is also how I learned not to try out untested recipes on guests at this stage of my cooking experience. I have since learned to be able to tell when a recipe will be good from a read, and can make corrections "on the fly" if necessary... but this was a LONG time ago!