Thankfully, the kitchen was the heart of our house as well as my granmother's. I started cooking at a very young age. Both of our kids love to cook. Just about anything that does not receive "Yuck, what is this?" from my family. Which, thankfully, doesn't happen too often. My mother's family is Japanese, so I grew up making rice, sushi, etc. These are my favortie things since it is so connected to my family history. Making mochi every year for New Year's is just part of who I am. Brownies, Japanese foods, cookies, banana bread, I have several favorities. I like to try new recipes all the time. Therefore, I have had several "cooking tragedies." It's part of the fun of cooking.