I always wanted to cook but never had the time. When I went back to college, I decided good food would be the one luxury I afford myself. Now I love to play and invent in the kitchen! I love to make dishes with a wide variety of flavors in them so that every bite can be different. Big salads, healthy casseroles, soups, burritos, and stir frys are my favorites. My mother's family is from Italy -- the women on that side know how to make gnocchi and biscotti from scratch. It's something I haven't mastered yet, but I'm happy to be in a family where I have the opportunity to learn. With everybody cranky from moving all day on an 85 degree July afternoon, nobody could agree on what to eat. I took matters into my own hands and made a giant crab louie salad with scratch dressing -- I cheered up the whole crew. I was making a chinese chicken salad for dinner and was toasting almonds with the oven broiler. I stupidly forgot to crack the oven door and the almonds burst into flame!! I didn't have any baking soda or a fire extinguisher so in a panic I called the fire department. By the time they'd arrived the fire had burned itself out, but one of the firefighters was a loyal customer of mine! It was embarrassing, but we had a good laugh.