Booge (Booj) is my nickname and my nephews added "Gourmet" when they were in Jr. High--both have graduated college. I love adventure in the kitchen. I try new recipes all the time, especially when company is coming. Once or twice a year, I take cooking classes at our local Seasoned Chef Cooking School. I cook in cycles: Italian cooking, then salads, casseroles, grilled meats, gourmet hamburgers, dishes with liquours. Currently I'm on a soup kick. I do bake quiches on the weekends all year round. I'm submitting my first orginal quiche recipe today! My tradition is to go to the Tattered Cover bookstore each year around November 1 and buy the cooking magazine that has the most recipes I want to try. Before I start cooking, I set the table to create the mood and my inspiration for the meal. My most memorable dining experience to-date was dinner for 10 Christmas Eve 2008. China with matching candles purchased in Sonoma on our Thanksgiving trip, grandma's woven table runner and a new hand-blown glass vase set the stage. I served Five Brother's Strawberries in Balsamic Vinaigrette, Fool Proof Rib Roast, Marcella Hazan's Spinach Sauteed with Olive Oil and Garlic and Ciabatta Bread rolls. Simple yet elegant--a delightful meal. Two come to mind: pumpkin pie that didn't gel and homemade ice cream that overflowed the bowl and gummed up the motor.