I love pasta and rice dishes. I was raised in a house with a mom that could take any 5 ingredients and make a fabulous meal out of it. The key to good cooking is experimentation. Even if I don't succeed on the first try of a new recipe, I will keep tweeking it and trying until I get it right. I really stink at baking, so any tips are welcome. Pasta Salads, stir fry's, mixed or layered salads and Japanese cooking are my favorites. I'm trying to get better at Greek and Italian Cuisine. I have a Swedish background and feel extremely comfortable making Scandinavian and English Recipes. We all take turns cooking for one another. Our family get-togethers usually end up in potluck parties because everyone has a new recipe they want to try out. I've created several recipes from scratch including American-Italian Pasta Salad, Taco Pie, Mushroom Barley Soup, and a Strawberry-Banana-Guava Daquiri. My cookies either burn or turn out extremely flat. Ican't tell if I'm using the wrong pans or my flour is too old. Maybe my ingredients aren't in the right combinations. In any case...HELP!