My name is Ty and I've been cooking since I was a little boy. I was always fascinated by the goings-on in the kitchen and would bug my parents to teach me how to do what they were doing. As I've gotten older, I tend to branch out more than my parents ever have; trying exciting new recipes, buying kind of off the wall cook books, watching cooking shows almost obsessively... I just love being in the kitchen and experimenting with food. I love to bake. Cooking anything is fun, but put a cake pan or some muffin tins in front of me and I just get excited =) I love all the baking tips I've gotten from my grandparents who are some of the best bakers EVER and the patience I've learned from my mother, who makes the best northern-style chili you will ever eat! I love to entertain and make tapas for parties. I think some of my greatest triumphs have been snack foods for parties and conventions ranging from Mediterranean shrimp croustinis to heart healthy blackberry mini-muffins =) Fondant. I have never been able to really get fondant down. I can usually make it alright, but something always goes wrong when I'm trying to use it. I'm very much a perfectionist, so when it doesn't look JUST RIGHT, it bugs me =P