I have been cooking as long as I can remember. My mother and grandmothers really encouraged my interest and I have fond memories of my grandparents' kitchen when I was a boy, my grandfather shelling fresh peas while my grandmother bent over the stove stirring this pot, tasting that sauce, etc. From these humble beginnings I have honed my skills in many restaraunts and my successes have begun to outweigh my failures... I love baking bread, working with the dough. That being said, baking is the one area in which I repeatedly find difficulty. I love cooking Italian, French, Mexican, Seafood, and sourthern food. Has to be around the holidays when we all get together and recreate the dishes we all grew up with. My vey favorite is my grandmother's Turkey and Dressing. Finally mastering home made tomato sauce - the right way, as taught me by a wonderful Sicillian woman using only fresh ingredients. Also being told by an immigrant Mexican friend that a dish I made for him reminded him of his home in Oaxaca. Too many to list here, but high on the list is one that happened when I was cooking for my current girlfriend for the first time. I was in full chef mode, having four things going on all at once while she watched, enjoying a glass of wine. I was about to sear our filets when I got distracted and allowed the pan to overheat, setting the olive oil ablaze. It has been hard to live that one down.