I was born in l940 and started baking at 5 years of age. My mother encouraged me and never complained about the messes. By my early teens I was competing in local fairs and winning ribbons. Cooking is not only a hobby but also a challenge. I am fortunate to be able to live in Portugal 6 months of the year so have learned new techniques and interesting cooking ideas. Fish, fowl and meat with wines. One pot meals. Interesting vegetables. Desserts, but preferably comfort foods such as gingerbreads and crisps. We always had roast beef on Sun. with apple tart for dessert. A store bought dessert would never be served to guests so we had a large variety of cakes. The first time I mastered a brownie without it being like a rock. It took several tries! Also I recall the first time I finally rolled a jelly roll without it breaking up. All of the above are now easy and I cant believe I had so much trouble with such popular desserts. Winning first prize at a local fair - especially since the competition was much older than me.