I'm a grad student, so I don't have as much time to cook as I would like. But I love all the traveling I do, and learning all about local foods from the places I go, so I manage to mix business and pleasure! I love cooking for dinner parties and potlucks, so I guess "party food" is my favorite thing to cook. But beyond that, anything seafood-related is a pleasure to cook as well, especially scallops. My whole family is off-the-boat Italian, and both sides come from restaurant traditions, so Italian cooking has had a huge influence on me. But my mom is also a terrific "experimental" cook, and I have learned a lot from her and her openness to new foodie adventures. Saffron scallops - yum! Turkey mole for Thanksgiving - it managed to win over the traditionalist skeptics, so that was a HUGE triumph. And cupcakes - soooo many cupcakes: red velvet, green tea, chocolate-orange, on and on and on! My latest apple pie - a cardboard crust, and not enough sugar, yuck! Also, rice seems to be an ongoing challenge. Why does it always stick to the bottom of the pot??