I grew up in India and started cooking when I was 14. It so happened that my Mom was expecting my brother and the doctor had prescribed bedrest for her. Since I was the eldest, the kitchen became my responsibility. And, I enjoyed it. Ever since I look for new recipes, new ways to prepare old dishes and quicker, short-cut methods to save time. I love to bake - both sweet and savory things. I bake cakes, cookies and quiches. Recently, I am experimenting with slow cooker recipes. At the time of festivals, my Mom would special dishes. FOr Diwali, it is dahiwadas (lentil dumplings in yogurt with tamarind chutney) and shakkarpare (fried pastry coated with a thin sugary coating). My favorite is kadhi which is a yogurt and chickpea flour gravy cooked with dumplings. It is eaten with steamed rice. My enchiladas. I once went to a potluck party where Molly, the hostess's friend had brought enchiladas. They were so yummy and perfect for a potluck. I begged her for the recipe and have tried it several times. Always a winner. Whenever I take them to a potluck, they are always gone and people always request them for the next time. One time, I made a fruit cake in a bundt pan. I had to take this to an event. When I turn the pan over, only half the cake fell out. The other stayed stuck to the pan. I scraped everything out and fashioned them into cake balls, added a cherry on top and placed them in individual paper cups. It still tasted good and so I managed to recover from the tragedy.