I've been cooking for my family for the last 10 years. I think that i'm getting better and it all has to do with this web site. This is where i started to learn about recipes and how to cook. I love to cook the main dish. In fact, half the time it's the only thing I cook and my family is left wondering where the rest of the meal is. I really don't have any cooking traditions. My mother never cooked, so i've learned everything on my own. I'm trying to put together some traditions. I'm not a baker and anytime a baked good turns out it is a triumph! Most of the time I have to make and re-make the same recipe many times to get it to come out right. Baking is almost always a tragedy for me. my muffins sink, my cakes burn and stick to the pan, and my cookies are to hard or under cooked.