I have an adventurous palate and enjoy cooking for myself and friends. When I get a great dish at a restaurant, my first thought is "How can I make this at home?" I started collecting vintage cookbooks about 15 years ago. I especially like the community/church auxiliary books. It's a great way to find good recipes for regional dishes. My favorite recipes are simple meals that use fresh, seasonal items. I also like to try out Asian, Mexican, and Italian recipes. Holiday cookies! Every year I make favorites and try out a few new recipes. I am the queen of biscotti! I started with a basic recipe found on allrecipes.com and made up at least a dozen variations. When my cousin was searching for easy cookie recipes for her wedding cookie trays, I shared my biscotti variations. On the wedding day, her Italian aunties were full of compliments! It took forever for me to learn to make gravy - it can still be an iffy situation. Once on Thanksgiving, my gravy set like pudding in the gravy boat!