I was born, raised, and still live in Upstate New York. My grandma taught me to cook when I was just a little kid, and she always fostered my love for creating new recipes. My all time favorite thing to cook has to be a big strip steak with bleu cheese and grilled house potatoes. But in general, I love to cook just about anything. I'm a big (okay, huge) fan of grilling over wooden charcoals (or just grilling in general). I love to bake fun and innovative things - a simple cupcake just doesn't do it for me. I love cooking ethnic dishes, particularly Irish, German, and Asian cuisine. I'm also a big fan of French cuisine, but I'm still just getting my feet wet in that area. My grandma's garlic pizza... I'm the only one in the family that knows the recipe hehehe. My latest triumph is a filet mignon with a garlic and port wine reduction set on a thick slice of garlic bread, paired with twice baked potatoes with a bit of a textural twist, and sauteed balsamic spinach. Not paying enough attention to my grandma in the kitchen while she was still with us. Oh yeah, I cut off the tip of my left index finger one time, but it was reattached and is fine now.