I've always loved helping my mother in the kitchen since I was a child, but I didn't really start cooking in my own right until I moved into my first apartment in college. I wasn't even sure if I'd really enjoy cooking at first since I never had to cook while I lived in the university dorms, which had buffet dining halls. I began trying new recipes and suddenly my inner-cook emerged. I began experimenting in my cooking and trying new seasonings like fresh herbs I brought home from the farmer's market. The Food Network became my favorite channel and I'm a Bon Apetit Magazine enthusiast. I am recently married and my wonderful husband is my inspiration for discovering new recipes, flavors and techniques. When we were dating he asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I half-jokingly replied "A spice rack." I did get it for Christmas, among other gifts, and it has been my best friend ever since, especially when it comes to seasoning my pasta and pizza sauces. I love to cook Chinese stir fries with fresh vegetables, thinly sliced meat, and seafood. My not-so-secret favorite ingredient of all time is oyster sauce, which you can find in the Asian section of the supermarket or at Chinese markets. I also like baking pasta dishes, making homemade tortilla chips for yummy nachos, and trying new recipes or variations on my regulars. I like cooking with my mother and mother-in-law. My mom has given me a solid and expert foundation for my cooking career. My mom-in-law shares new recipes with me passed down from her mother, who was an excellent cook. Being together with the family and chatting while we prepare a meal is a very special tradition. My mother's recipe for beef and broccoli is my most requested dish, hands down. It is my husband's absolute favorite. When I see him enjoying his meal so thoroughly and hear his compliments, I am the most triumphantly happy wife. I had grilled some beautifully marbled steaks before and they were delicious, so I wanted to try out a different cut. Instead of going to the butcher as I had the first time, I went to the supermarket to peruse the packaged meat section. I found a London broil, which the confusing packaging called steak. It was only later when I went home and tried to figure out what to do with the cut that I discovered that it wasn't the kind of steak I was looking for. London broil is a flank or round steak, which is tough and needs to be tenderized. I called up my mother-in-law, who gave me a good recipe for cooking it in the oven. The only problem was that I over salted the dish! I learned two lessons that day: 1) How to choose a steak, 2) salt and taste as you go along. You can always add more flavor, but its hard to remove excess seasoning. To fix a mistake, add a potato because it will soak up the excess salt or counteract a slightly over-salted dish with some sugar or honey.