Started seriously cooking after I became a mom. Most of what I learned about cooking techniques came from cooking shows and cook books. One of my favorite cooking experiences was cooking for my daughter's crew team. It taught me a lot about being prepared for anything, improvising, feeding a small army and how sharing food can create bonds of friendship that last long past the meal. Anything that tastes great. I love anything that involves garlic. If it''s spicy or Cajun you've got my attention. I love slow cooked foods because besides being so flavorful, they are so hard to ruin! My mother never cooked anything from scratch, so there is not much that is truly traditional in my repertoire. My kids might say that my sausage stuffing and my Cajun barbecued shrimp are our family traditions. Pea soup, beef stew, paella, Asian beef with onions, spicy roasted chicken My kids definitely say it's my meatloaf, but what do they know?