I don't know when I really started cooking. I guess I could tell you stories of helping mom in the kitchen making breads, etc., but it all came to fruition about 10 year ago when I married a non-cooker. The relationship didn't last but the love for cooking did. Since then my cooking has escalated to where I now throw dinner parties for my friends at least once a month. Two of my best friends are also great cooks and we've taken gourmet classes together, visited some of the great cooking regions of the world together (Italy, France, etc) and now try to out-cook each other on a regular basis. My one friend may have a lock on appetizers with his pheasant pate, but my chocolate souffle, creme brulle, and pastry concotions always keeps him on his toes. If you can't tell by the pictures here, when we cook we at least try to dress the part :) Anything Traditional. -- I despise americanized and bast***dized recipes. If you're going to make a gumbo, make your own stock and use roux! For all of you non-Louisianians out there traditional gumbo does not contain tomato sauce!! Ocassionally you'll have some quartered tomatoes, but no sauce. Red Beans and rice on Mondays!! Even though I inherited this tradition from my girlfriend over five years ago it's become an instant tradition. Bring on the Vin-e-GAR! Anything where people still talk about it to this day. And remember! only traditional recipes please. Leave the bast***ized ones in the trash-bin. My specialties in order of my preference: Seafood Paella Valencia -- Lobster Bisque -- Chocolate-espresso Souffle with vanilla custard sauce -- brie in puff pastry served with a mint, cranberry hazelnut chutney. -- Grilled venison medallions served over potatoes gallete with shallot demi glace Spending over 3 hours making the ingredients and wrapping up over 50 pork tamales only to get a call from the office (which I took in my office in the basement) which resulted in 50 burnt tamales and a ruined extra-large stock pot.