I consider myself a good plain cook. The last year or so I have gotten hooked on watching cooking shows on the Food Network and Fine Living. "Top Chef" is one of my favorites. However I seldom see anything on it I would want to cook or eat. I think the "Ultimate Recipe Showdown" has very good stuff on it. My husband likes good old meat and potatoes. We have reached an agreement that he will try one new recipe a week. I hope it will encourage both of us, as we have gotten in a rut about eating out, which is a waste of money. The food isn't always that great and we both are diabetics, so need to keep a closer watch on our carbs. I like to make casseroles, roasts, homemade bread and buns. My husband is great about always complimenting the meal I have prepared (even the dreaded new recipes!)At that point I have learned to ask if it is something he would eat again. Turkey and dressing, the turkey hotdish I make with the leftovers; My homemade buns and ham salad. A stew recipe I have used for forty years and Auntie Mame's one bowl chocolate cake, which doesn't require frosting. Finally getting my homemade bun recipe to where it almost tastes like my husband's grandmother's. For years I made them every Sunday, and for family gatherings. I taught one daughter to make them - the only one interested, and hers were better the first time than mine are. She taught my granddaughter to make them and hers are very good, too. So at least the tradition carries on. Along the way making buns, I had many failures. Some of them my husband joked could be used by the brick plant. Some of my casseroles really missed the mark. I usually cook without using a recipe. And, of coourse, I had the usual disasters - forgetting the sugar, using too much salt. etc