My mother was a great cook and I learned a lot from her, but my cooking style is very different. I still can't make her Sunday Pot Roast like she can, and I can't even come close to her rolls. But I am an adventurous cook who has been able to teach my mom a thing or two about spices and newer cooking techniques than what she learned "down on the farm". I have 4 children and an incredible husband. They are patient with my adventurous side and are willing participants in taste tests. I've visited allrecipes.com since nearly its inception, and I have one cookbook (my favorite) with printouts from this site. Here's to great cooking! I like putting flavors together that are unusual to me. I love Indian and other Middle Eastern cooking because they use things like cinnamon and cilantro in the same dish. I grew up in a family steeped in food traditions. Our favorites: Wedding Punch (served at weddings, baby showers, and other parties), Waffles with green eggs and ham for Christmas morning, and homemade Caramel Popcorn on the 4th of July. Nothing much comes to mind, except that I feel triumphant every time I try something new and it gets the "thumbs up" from my family. When I was a newlywed, I made a stroganoff that I was particularly proud of. As I took the pan off the stove and headed toward the table, the whole thing slipped out of my hands and fell to the floor, right in front of my husband. I cried. Another tragedy that continues to happen to this day is burning bread under the broiler. I forget about it even when I set a timer!