I was forced into cooking due to the birth of my daughter (30 yrs ago), and the poor health of my wife for several months. I dug into my memory bank from watching my mother and grandmothers cook, and tried to duplicate my favorite dishes. Not always successful. But with a little perserverance, I have done fairly well. Probably roasts, stews, and soups. Always skin chicken prior to breading. French onion soup I haven't had any real tragedies, but my baking (cakes; pies, etc.) leaves a lot to be disired. But thats ok, 'cause I don't enjoy that stuff anyway.