Cooking is a big part of my life. I love to be in the kitchen. My grandmother taught me how to make pasta and tomato sauces from scratch.I loved being in the kitchen with her. Most of what I make I either create on my own; sometimes I am inspired by a great dish at a resturant that I recreate at home. I love to cook almost anything, from classic american dishes like Chicken- fried steak to asian inspired dishes like Thai Curry Chicken. I love sticking with my roots with Italian food, from Chicken Marsala to homemade ravioli. I cook mostly from scratch and rarely use anything prepackaged. My family did not really have cooking traditions...recipes are passed down, but my grandmother taught me that the best thing to do is use your imagination, never be afraid to experiment with flavors and colors in any dish, the best dish is the one you make "truly your own". My Chicken Marsala and Sherry Venison... friends and family love those dishes. Also, my Chicken Carbonara and my Glazed Duck (pomegranet or blueberry, depending on my mood). Porkloin with raisins and sherry. My biggest triumph is that, like my grandmother, I am pretty good at picking out the flavors in a dish simply by tasting it. The only tradgey I ever really had was when I accidently used mint extract in my French Toast batter...ick is the only way to describe it. A shrimp quiche experiment...I didn't care for it.