I loved food magazine, shows, and equipment, but never had the time, money, or people to cook for. When I finally landed a descent job with normal hours, and a husband who loves to cook as well the cooking and baking took off. We always try to make new dishes every week to keep things interesting and to keep learning. Mediterannean food by far is my favorite, followed by tropical flavors of cooking such as the cuisine of Trinidad! I do have to say that I enjoy the quest of trying to create something original and flavorful! My mom learned to cook out of neccessity through improvisation, then taught me everything she knew. When I went to live on my own, I had to learn to take what I knew, and more often that not, improvise myself. It's how Asian Marinated Flank Steak and Wasabi Mashed Potatoes were born! When I made biscotti, and had an actual success in baking (outside my family's chocolate chip cookie recpie, which we all have memorized). Finally a new baked good which didn't come out burnt. I burnt Jello. My first time cooking anything. I decided that reading the directions would be silly for such a simple dish. So I put a saucepan onto the stove, turned on the heat, and emptied the peach sugar into the pan. I then got distracted and came back to a black, smoldering crisp. The smell, needless to say, was awful.