I grew up in a military family. My father was trained in the mess hall by the army. He would always tell me, "You need to know your way around a kitchen in order to get by on your own". After the mess halls, he went to the NCO and Officers clubs. This is where I really started to learn to cook. I would go to work for him after school and on weekends. I started off washing dishes and worked my way up to cooking on Fridays (AYCE fish & chicken) and Saturdays (Mongolian BBQ, cooked outdoors over charcoal). Most of what I've learned & will learn is from my dad. I don't have a specific cuisine or method of cooking that is my favorite. I really enjoy cooking for family and gatherings of friends. I enjoy trying anything new, and testing it at these gatherings. (That's right, They are my test subjects.) When my dad finally retired from the army, he had a grill made so that we could create the Mongolian BBQ at home. We do this a couple times a year. It is a huge event for the family. Everyone would come for the dinner. In this busy world, it is one of the few fun things that will get the family together. There is nothing major that I can think of. Just a lot of small victories. (Getting the gravy/sauce to turn out the way I want it.) Like the triumphs, there is nothing major. A few items overcooked, or seasoned too much. Generally I am pretty careful about my cooking.