I spent over 40 years as a professional in the food service industry and progressed from kitchen apprentice, to chef, to VP and in my last few years owned my own company. Most of the recipes in our individual files have come to us through the generosity of family and friends. Others from pages surreptitiously torn from waiting room magazines. Many of the best recipes have been such longstanding favorites in our families that they are simply a part of us without a clue sometimes as to their origin. Many of these recipes come from a cook book I published in 2001. Seafood!!! Any gathering of family and friends at the table creates the tradition of the day. Writing a cookbook named "A Collection of Recipes from Family and Friends" Recipes assembled from 42 cities and 16 states, brought a spirit of pleasure that was mine throughout the writing of the book. The publiished version was sent to every contributor as a gift of appreciation.My greatest sense of accomplishment was in the feeling that I helped others to better develop and refine their skills in cooking and entertaining,and added to their selection of favorites. Too few worth documneting.