Although mom was a good cook, she gave me only one thing to help me in the kitchen - the ability to "wing it". I'm not talking chicken here, either; rather, knowing how ingredients can work together, being brave enough to throw them together, being able to spot a good recipe or one that just needs tweeking. I mostly cook for my family but also like to entertain and do occasional catering. I like to cook easily-prepared foods that taste great (doesn't everybody??) I enjoy recipes that are different and have an ingredient that leaves people guessing when the flavors meld together perfectly. My paternal grandmother was known county-wide for her amazing pies. I feel lucky to have had her teach me some tricks before she died. I don't have time to make a pie often but it never falls into my "tragedy" file! Catering a brunch for 120 women...and all my recipes were from Allrecipes.com. I tend to cook on medium high heat and have a sensitive fire alarm in my family room. My husband declares "Dinner's Ready!!" when it goes off. Fortunately, it's usually the stuff in the drip pan, rather than our dinner, that is creating the problem. I guess the biggest tragedyis the need for a flat-top stove. Most of my tragedies with the food are in the baking realm and I blame them on my living at 5,800 feet. :-)