Spoiled from my dad's gourmet cooking, I'm learning how to cook for myself on a college budget. Because of my schedule, I like to cook a complete meal at least once every weekend. There is so much to cooking, that I feel I will never learn to cook as well as my dad. I like to cook international food. Grilled chicken curry, pasta with garden tomatoes and fresh basil, crazy whitevalley girl japanese miso soup, hot african peanut soup and fried plantains. Traditions are broken in my family. Every Thanksgiving my dad cooks a feast with a theme. Last year it was persian. The tradition seems to be that the whole family gathers and reconnects. Only my dad cooks, sweats and labors for hours and everyone waits to dive in. This is how he shows love. We're OK with it. I was really happy when I could saute mushrooms like my dad. (I have little patience.) I threw away a whole casserole dish, because I discovered that I don't like lamb in moussaka and I could not bear with the smell in the garbage can, nor clean the dish.