I am a recently married 21 year-old that loves to cook! I am currently working on my BA, and I figure that if after I finish school, I still have a desire to go to Culinary Arts school, I will. I love cooking Italian. I feel that people that view Italian cooking as simple and something that anyone can do simply lack imagination and depth. There is so much creativity that can go into Italian cooking. Those that find it little more than boiling pasta and heating sauce need to roll up their sleeves, step back, and cook with me. :) My family has no cooking traditions. My family can't cook. Well, my mom makes an AMAZING flan; but that's really all she can cook. :( When I was 13, I made the entire Thanksgiving dinner by myself complete with turkey, ham, and "fixin's." When I was 14, I got second place in a pie baking contest. I was baking pies for a month trying to get the right combination of filling (sweet v. tanginess) and crust (buttery, flaky). I lost to a peach pie with hearts on the top (I still think that her presentation won out in the end... j/k) I am still trying to figure out the best way to make a meatloaf. It sounds silly but I enjoy Boston Market's meatloaf, but I want more substance to mine. My first attempt at meatloaf turned into a mushy meat blob. It was gross! My second attempt turned into an overcooked on the outside, raw on the inside slightly more textured disaster! Let's give this another go!