I live in the middle of nowhere, South Dakota. Which oftentimes poses a problem, since the nearest market is 35 miles away. Finding a lot of gourmet ingredients is also a problem. No one around here caries Ancho Chili Powder. Lucky for me, Amazon.com will ship it. I grew up watching my mother cook with whatever she had on hand. I guess I've gotten good at improvisation. Seafood, steaks, Mexican food. Did I say Mexican food? I love the holidays of Christmas and Thanksgiving; I'm always trying to change things up- and my mom likes the traditional. I've managed to get her to give in to a few things, however, like changing from traditional green bean casserole to a fresh mushroom and green bean casserole. Yum-O! I love it when I substitute something and it still turns out fabulous!