I am married with two kids. I am from Western New York, spent 10 years living in Louisiana where I learned to cook authentic cajun meals(which is more than simply adding cayenne to a food) and am now living in Illinois, where red meat is king. I love to attempt gourmet things. However, money & availability of ingredients often get in the way, although I find myself perusing unique and out of the way grocery stores more and more. My two new favorite places to be are Mexican and Asian groceries. Sometimes I will buy something that I have no idea what it is or how to cook it, just to try it out... and to see the look on my kids' faces when I serve it. Almost every year, my family & I bake 500-1000 Christmas cookies to give away as gifts. Is that tradition or torture? My biggest cooking triumph has been mastering seafood gumbo. Being from Western New York in a predominantly Polish background, cajun cooking was completely foreign to me. When I moved down to Louisiana, my mother-in-law took me under her wing and taught me everything I needed to know. One year for a Christmas party, I served my gumbo and heard, "This is better than mine!" from authentic cajuns!! And that is HUGE! Cinnamon rolls are my nemesis. I can follow a recipe just as well as anyone else, but for some reason, my cinnamon rolls never rise properly. Never. Ever. I have attempted them 10+ times now. And every single time I end up with cinnamon & raisin tasting driveway gravel.