I'm from the Midwest and still live here. I did accounting for years, and now mostly teach it. I spend a great deal of time on the computer, & the internet, am a gamer, and have friends from all over the world. I used to cook more & loved it, and am now trying to get back to doing more. I live alone with my cats, only rarely cooking for others, and I love this site because I can make half a recipe and then come here to find ways to use up the ingredients I opened. :-) Mexican is one of my favorites, followed closely by Italian. I also love cheese & my most-used meat is chicken. I like occasionally to make fancy desserts, but not just for myself, so I take advantage of parties and buffets for this. Also a perfect time to make something really decadent, so I don't get stuck having to eat it. Family Traditions? Ha. Let's just say it's strange that I even like to cook, since my mother hated it and overcooked everything, and everyone else from my family considers cooking to be throwing something frozen into the microwave. My oldest brother's favorite tradition was to let me bake cookies, while he ate them all as they came out of the oven. Oh, yes I guess we did have one tradition -- when we were still all alive and together, I always made the pumpkin pie every Tranksgiving. (And the Stove Top stuffing. :-)) I just like for things to turn out well and taste good. Not really looking for triumphs and not sure what I'd consider to be one. I was rather pleased with this totally rich and sickening chocolate/caramel/pecan torte I once made for a bachelorette party. Everyone had to eat tiny slices because it was so rich, but they loved it and were duly impressed that it looked like a masterpiece. The leftovers went to my brother who ate it in about two days and made himself sick. I suppose brothers are useful for something after all I've had my share of things not turning out so well. But one bad memory was actually from when I was a teenager and insisted (to my mother's pleasure) on making an entire dinner one night, including this wonderful strawberry cake thing for dessert. It all turned out great, until I bumped into something and there went the dessert, upsidedown on the floor. I cried and cried, and my mother was unable to console me.