I've been helping in the kitchen and cooking since I was a kid. My Mom is German and my Dad is from outside Philly, so good food is a Thing with my family. Once upon a time B.C.(Before Child), I used to looove the painstaking detail of gournmet cooking but now I simply don't have time. I try to find or create recipes that have good flavor and simple methods. My husband is New England Irish Catholic, and it's taken a little bit to wake up his palate, but now he's a budding foodie. And he's a good bartender to boot! An omelet that doesn't break. Bread or soup in any way, shape or form. Especially hard-crusted, moist dark bread. Christmas baking, especially the stollen! I've carried my Mom's tradition and tweaked by adding native dried cranberries Minestrone Soup. And a Hazelnut Prailine cake that took 2 days to make. For about 5 years I made it every Christmas. Bourbon-Orange glazed Goose with dried fruit and nut stuffing. The time my Mom was hardcore into natural food (in the 70s!) and I tried to impress my 5th grade class by making corn chips from her natural food cookbook. They came out like dogbiscuts. And then there was High School Awards Potluck when I tried bake a chocolate cake in the microwave. It was a little mushy in the middle.