I grew up in the 1960's and didn't learn to cook until I was in my 20's. Then there was no stopping me - it was a creative outlet that I could share with my family. I am a working woman who enjoys music from the era when I was young, classic cars, and horse racing. In my spare time, I like to surf the internet, read a good book, and write short stories, one of which has been published. I probably enjoy making Italian dishes the most, with my favorites being lasagna and canneloni. Tiramisu is my favorite dessert; I make it with Kahlua and everyone raves about it (maybe I put in too much Kahlua?). Probably preparing the traditional Thanksgiving meal; my mother's bread stuffing recipe is the one both my sister and I have carried on at our own households during the holidays. Most likely it's my baking ability - almost any kind of pie, cake, cobbler, etc. usually turns out very well. I've had a few flops, of course, but overall, desserts are my strong suit. Roast duck! Nobody warned me it might be greasy; I was a newlywed when I tried it. It was horrible, the raisins in the stuffing were burned to a crisp and floating around in a sea of duck grease. Another time, I tried to make milk gravy; my mother-in-law was a wonderful cook, and her milk gravy was without equal. She didn't follow a recipe and therefore gave me approximate amounts of ingredients. I put in too much flour and it turned into a doughy blob. Adding more milk just made the blob bigger. The spoon actually stood up in it. My husband thought it was stuffing and almost ate it. Not without a sense of humor, I laughed at that mess until my stomach hurt. It would have hurt a lot more if we'd have eaten the gravy.