My parents had one of the first Chinese restaurants near the Chasidic Fairfax District years ago. I grew up in their kitchen. Our family would close up shop and head out to Canter's Deli, Tommy's, Fiddler's Cafe, Falafel King, or Micelli's afterwards... anything but more Chinese food! I'd still rather cook anything but Asian food at home, although I can make crazy Japanese and Korean food when in the mood. Today, I am fat and happy, but trying to bento-box lunch and do portion control. I love comfort foods: salads, casseroles, pastas, seafood. Ugh, my EX-husband's family likes 50's stuff like green bean casserole, Watergate salads, and all these other things I had never heard of. He still craves junk food once in a while. So I had to look here to figure out what the heck Mock Apple Pie and Boloney Spread were. Recently converted to vegan lifestyle. I make a really good tofu lasagna that tastes better than the ricotta version. I get impatient with the low power output of home woks which make soupy messes instead of good stirfry. Smoky hot oil sets off the fire alarm too often and scares the cat.