I'm a 20-something New Yorker who's been called a "foodie" by more than a few people. I love trying a new recipe every time I cook, which is around 3 or 4 times a week. Even though New York is filled with great restaurants and most of the people that I know eat out all the time (and don't even know how to boil water), I really enjoy cooking as a relaxing activity and learning experience. Organic produce and farm raised eggs, meats, and seafood. I'm not a hippie, but I really believe that organic and farm raised foods have better flavor and fresher consistency. I love simple one-pot recipes for week nights and then trying more elaborate time consuming recipes on weekends. Some of my favorite things to make: moroccan tangines, creamy chowders, thai curries, risottos, lamb dishes, chili. My mother always cooked traditional Chinese food with a Shanghai flavor. I grew up eating dishes that weren't drenched in artificial sauce or covered in condiments (most midwestern fare), but eating Chinese dishes made mostly with oil, salt/sugar and some soy sauce/seasoning. That really taught me how to appreciate foods and their natural flavors. I don't cook much Chinese food since my mom never really cared to teach me, but the appreciation for fresh ingredients is instilled in my brain. All those dishes that I burned because I wasn't paying attention. I promise that I will never again try to cook and play videogames at the same time. I'm also an incredibly accident-prone cook. You name the body part, I've sliced/burned/grated/seared it. But I'm proud to say my accidents have never directly harmed the food and that physical pain will never keep me out of the kitchen!