I'm a happy Kansas lady who loves to cook and loves to eat even more. I study computer science at the University of Kansas and work at a local software company, I play fiddle, and I love to learn new things and enrich my life with them. Chicken, comfort foods, salads, tofu, spicy stuff, and anything involving crushed ice, like slushies! I was brought up as a vegan, so my mom knew how to cook lots of unusual things, like broiled tofu and 'lentil loaf,' and other things that were supposed to taste like meat. I learned the unique taste of things like tofu and seitan was not just a meat 'substitute' but a whole different kind of food with its own nuances and beauties. Discovering how to properly fry chicken, and also the first thing I ever cooked at age 16 - a very spicy pasta sauce made by sauteeing mushrooms, pepperoncini, green olives, garlic, and tabasco sauce. Too many to name! I'd like to think I've learned from my mistakes, but I try to forget them.