I am a retired Firefighter/Paramedic. I have cooked for as many as 20 firefighters and for just myself. At the firehouse I always cooked simple to prepare meals. I am slowly experimenting with some of my dishes to improve them and am happy with the attempts to date. I specialize in bachelor/college student cooking (easy to cook, easier to clean up, plentiful, and flavorful). I have a good soup I love to fix, a tater tot casserole, and a few baked chicken dishes. I do not eat most vegetables and hate anything with onions. I believe onions are a grossly overused ingredient. Basil and garlic are my two favorite ingredients for flavoring. My mother was a baker. My Aunt Pat taught cooking and home economics for a few years. My Aunt Pat and my Aunt Freddie ran a catering service for awhile. I have a cousin that has taken up baking as a hobby and has even sold a few wedding cakes. My mother always preferred to slave in the kitchen at Christmas to give fresh baked cakes, cookies, and pies for gifts. Her specialties were plum nutty (pecans) cake and a rum cake. I have developed a flavorful potato and chicken soup recipe I cook at least weekly. I have also learned how to cook dried beans until they are to die for. I don't fry much in the kitchen (even though I am a true Southerner). Cooking spagetti sauce in cast iron because my regular pan was dirty was quite horrific flavor-wise.