I am active duty in the Air Force, so my job allows me to travel and experience cuisine all over the world. I also like cooking for myself because it's economical and I can still enjoy good food, without so much fat and calories. I also hate how restaurants make such HUGE portions, when you cook for yourself you can control exactly how much each portion will be. I enjoy baking bread from scratch. I thinks it's very relaxing and I love the smell of fresh bread baking, especially during the winter season. Soups is another thing I have gotten into, because they are easy, and they are great for dieting. My family doesn't consist of any cooks. I got into cooking after I spent 2 years eating military chowhall food. I couldn't stand it any more, so I starting cooking for myself. I have mastered the cheesecake. Alton Brown's "Good Eats" episode on the Food Network was very helpful, along with plenty of practice. Now I play around with recipes to come up with new flavors. I have yet to bake a decent looking basic cake. Practice makes perfect and one day I should be able to create a professional looking cake, with all the decorations. I also haven't been to successful with candies. I'm scared to even try hard candies for fear of setting my house on fire or something like that.