I have an extensive background in restaurant management and I used to be married to an Executive Chef for a high end hotel in St. Louis. Being in the business and married to a chef gives you a great insight on great foods, presentation, and techniques I otherwise may not have had the chance to learn. It also helps me think outside the box and makes me more willing to try new things. My very favorite dinner is Spaghetti al Amatraciana... my family knows the leftovers are automatically mine. No exceptions. I make Alton Browns brined turkey every year for Thanksgiving. People always say it's the best. I also really enjoyed time spent with my mom growing up watching her cook dinner. I hope to share that time with my boys and daughter when they get older too. I learned a lot and it was a great way to bond. One of the most simple things I've ever made but am most proud of is a Lavender Sorbet... it was so amazing to taste the smell of Lavender and it was surprising how good it was. However, my biggest cooking triumphs have to be Thanksgiving dinner... I ususally end up making the entire meal and each dish is a gourmet triumph in itself. I've never been good at making cakes from scratch... they always turn out hard and not tasty at all... I've tried and tried. Every now and then I get a wild hair and decide to give it another go but I've never succeeded. Someday I hope to get it right.