It's interesting for me to see the way other people cook, esp busy Americans. I never realized there were so many cooking shortcuts before I moved to the US. Those methods are great in a pinch.. I, however, intend to keep my own cooking as traditional as I can. My pet peeves are when people post 'authentic' recipes that are actually far from it, or when people think adding peanuts or coconut to a recipe automatically makes it Thai, or adding pineapple makes it Hawaiian. I like to cook Thai, Italian, Okinawan & Hawaiian foods since most of the ingredients are fresh or homemade. I don't like foods that are sweet (unless it's a dessert!) I like to incorporate every taste in each meal/dish (spicy, salty, sour, bitter, etc) and use as many colors as possible I learned a lot about cooking from my parents--both from opposite ends of the earth. They were both raised as farmers, so much of what I know is how to cook with FRESH ingredients. I'm very comfortable using traditional methods & making things from scratch. I don't have much experience with canned, instant, or pre-made goods (though I wouldn't mind learning!) At home, cooking's a family affair where all of us try to help out as much as possible.