Denver-based veggie here! Beyond cooking I like to run, mountain bike, lift weights, kick-box, XC-Ski, snowboard, hike, be around animals (I have two cats) and... whatever else I may find to keep me busy outside the kitchen. Back to food :), I have a great love for it and a strong cooking background from my family (father's parents owned a restaurant) so I've always enjoyed cooking. Being a veg practically requires it of a person, so I'm always experimenting with recipes, food items, etc. I love to bake. I have a really severe sweet-tooth ;) I also like making Oriental dishes (stir-fries, curries) and anything to pizzazz up "just veggies". I like making seitan and granola from scratch--loads cheaper than pre-made from the store and it's fun for me, too. Christmas cookies/holiday baking hold a special place in my heart-- thanks, mom! I am also sort of starting a Thanksgiving and/or Christmas meal. Those past 2005 holidays I planned and executed the menues for them :) I make pretty awesome homemade granola (great for backpacking trips). I usually feel that any recipe I can turn vegan without sacrificing taste (to logical extent) is a triumph. I must give due credit to all the wonders companies are doing with cruelty-free substitutes and/or soy nowadays. Oh, and vegan baking at high altitude that doesn't turn out dry-as-sand is also a success in my book! Indian Cuisine is the bane of my existence (when I even *attempt* it, that is). As alluded to earlier, [vegan] baking at high altitude can also be a disappointment. I think my most vivid memory of a culinary embarassment though happened when I was about six. I tried to make Cream of Wheat for my mom as a surprise and inverted the ingredient amounts, so I ended up with not-so-creamy wheaty cement!