As the youngest of 3 daughters growing up in a very traditional Italian/Irish household, I grew accustom with lavish meals. Unfortunately I have never been a good cook. So bad, in fact, that the only duty my mother would trust me with was browning the meat. I am proud to report that I have made a complete 180 since my upbringing. My passion for cooking (and buying kitchen necessities) started when I got married. All of a sudden mac and cheese and ramen noodles for 1 didn't really cut it anymore. Thank goodness I found this website! Despite my husband's picky yet simple taste of food, I continue to venture out my comfort zone with new found recipes. I am so very determined to be a good cook and impress the socks off of my family and friends. I really enjoy baking even though it tends to give me the most trouble. Anything chocolate is a favorite if only just to lick the spatula and beaters during the process. I am also becoming a big fan of crockpot recipes. Similar to a majority of Italian households, my favorite family cooking tradition is when my parents would make our family recipe spaghetti sauce. It would simmer all day in a huge pot ontop of the stove and feed the entire family for what seemed to be around a month. You'd think we'd get sick of all that pasta! My first attempt at a chocolate suffle came out very lovely. It collapsed a bit as it cooled but my research doesn't reflect anyone who doesn't face this problem. I would definitely consider it a triumph. I also consider any recipe that my husband approves of a triumph. It's a huge compliment when he says, "hunny, you can make that one again." The infamous brownie story: I was around 14 years old. My mother, a wonderful cook, asked me to make brownies from a box one day. It was the start of a very frustrating series of events. Attempt #1 - I forgot the egg. Attempt #2 - instead of a half cup of oil, I used 1 and a half cups. Attempt #3 - burned to a crisp. Attempt #4 - would have been perfect! I asked my grandmother to take them out of the oven for me. She was in stage 1 of Alzheimer's. She took them out, did a toothpick test, put them back in and they burned. Success came with Attempt #5 and I've never lived it down. There was also that kitchen fire, but I'll save that for another day. All I need to say is NEVER pour water on a greese fire...nuf said.