I came from Jakarta and I had the luxury of having helpers around, no need to learn how to cook whatsoever! In fact, cooking sounded quite scary - exposing myself to hot stoves and knives etc. did not sound appealing at all. Then I moved to Canada 10 years ago... My first job could only afford my rent plus a little grocery! I had no choice but to start learning how to cook myself.. Starting small... boiling water, eggs, working my oven.. Then I discovered allrecipes.com and the food channel! Loved it! I started experimenting, braver each month! Last year, we actually did a raved-worthy turkey dinner with the whole shebang. Not bad eh! Anyway, I am still afraid of deep frying, hot oil splatters, taking stuff out of the oven... but that's what a husband is for.. :-) Ribs! Corn Bread! Big giant meatballs! Lasagna! Pasta with whatever in the fridge! Rum Cake! Smoked chicken! 2 times winner of Pasta Sauce competition at my Parish - against those Italian kitchen hardcore ladies! This was a REAL tragedy, $1800 for kitchen damage! Instead of turning the heat for my soup pot, I turned on a pot of bacon oil my roomate left on the stove! Firemen came and saved the day.