I have been cooking for over 35 years. My mom worked full time so that left me as the oldest in charge of starting dinner at our house. We had a limited budget so I learned to try different things. Growing up my mom baked and fried most everything. If it didn't come from a can, she didn't know what to do with it. My cooking style tends to lean on a more healthly type of cooking. Homemade has always been standard. I like to use fresh veggies, limited beef and pork. I stir fry for quick meals and love to cook anything with pasta. I can't say enough about how much Allrecipes has been wonderful part of my cooking skills. If you can't find what you need at this web site, it just doesn't exist! I love to try new recipes. I could start my own libary I have so many cookbooks. I don't know if I have a favorite thing to cook. If I had to choose it would probably be desserts. I enjoy making cheesecakes and homemade pies. After many years I finally found that old recipe for crust with the egg and vinegar. It makes the most wonderful crust. I get compliments every time I use it. I really don't have any major traditions. I like to make things simple on days when I'm working outside the home. When I was a stay at home mom with little ones I really cooked and baked a lot. My children who are adults now have come to appreciate my skills as they call often for advice and recipes to try on there own. The best compliment I received was from my best friend Linda in California. While living there she would visit and claims I would invite her and her family to stay for dinner. After her examining the refrigerator she would question what we were having? (stating there's nothing in there to fix!) In a short time she says there was a wonderful meal on the table including dessert. When serving as PTO president for my son's school I organized and helped to cook a "Breakfast with Santa" for 800 people. An event that is now a tradition and great fund raiser for the school. I enjoy making a large assortment of Christmas cookies. One year I made some for a friend and delivered them to her at work. By the time I left I had so many additional orders I couldn't fill them all. They were a huge success, and I had extra spending money at Christmas. I'm pretty lucky I really don't have any cooking tragedies. I can honestly admit I seem to have a problem when I cook for large family get togethers. I always burn the garlic bread. My husband often says to me (Especially when we have company!) "Honey I can't eat this garlic bread, it's just not burned enough!