I was introduced to the world of cooking by my mom when I was 8-10 years old. Little did I know she would then have me cook for her for the rest of my growing up years due to her working schedule. I now love to cook, and I love watching Bobby Flay, Rachael Ray, Guy, and other chefs via the Food Network Channel. I am currently in college, so I am learning how to cook with microwaves and safety burners in the dorms. I cook whatever I can get my hands on. I like making cheesecake, truffles, brownies, zesty flavorful chicken, Parmesan chicken, pasta sauce, casseroles, and the list goes on and on... Does anybody know of a perfect CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE recipe or technique??? My grandma owned her own bakery. She would never let my mom into her kitchen to watch her cook or learn any of her techniques for fear that my mom would take over her practice when my mom became an adult, like my grandma did for her mom. My grandma said that when she died her ghost would haunt her bakery if anything changed in it. A little over a month after my grandma died the new owners started changing things to the bakery and the bakery mysteriously burned down. I know it was my grandma taking her vengeance. Traditions: we always make WAY more food than we actually need for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We also prepare desserts during those times for our church's sailor home ministry. Sometimes mom will tell me to make dinner...when we have no staple ingredients. Like meat. Or noodles. Or enough veggies. Or even Bisquick. Yet somehow I have always managed to dig through our cabinets and make food enough for the five of us...and get compliments on the food by my dad and brother, never having told them how hard it was to think of something to make with practically no groceries. After dinner I always remind my mom that we need groceries, and she'll usually take me to the store. The first time I ever made cheesecake I made a chocolate chip recipe. I took it out of the oven and somehow the top never cracked. After it had cooled I carried it to the kitchen table to serve to my family. Having never used a spring form pan before I unlatched the side of it as I was walking to the table. BIG MISTAKE!!! I got to watch as my perfect cheesecake slid off my hand, do a flip, and land upside down on the linoleum floor of our kitchen. :)