I grew up loving to watch my dad and neighbor cook. I loved watching cooking shows and when I was 15 started experimenting with cooking my own recipes. I am now 30 and love cooking. I still create my own recipes as well as cooking recipes from books, shows etc. My challenges now are trying to find ways to make great meals that not only my husnad and I love, but the kids enjoy too, we all know how kids are. And I am now getting into using unique ingrediants. Well, I grew up eating a lot of spanish cooking. So I love trying to re-create those dishes. My husband is a meat and potatoes guy, so I try to create fancier versions of meat and potatoes, and although I am not a vegiterian, I love creating savory, satisfying vegiterian dishes. Well, ever Christmas my dad would make Pasteles, and I tried to learn how, but haven't, yet. So I guess my tradition, although doesn't involve me cooking, but it does involve food. Every year the kids look foward to the gifts under the tree, and my husband , sisters and I all await my Dad's pasteles. It just isn't Christmas with out them!!!! I am not sure I have had a cooking Triumph yet. My expectations for myself, as far as cooking are too high. I would say I will have a cooking triumph when I have my own little resteraunt, or cafe. Weel, I have been known to break a cake or 2 in my time, and cooking things on to high of a temp, to spped things up , but always end up burning the food.