I grew up in Texas knowing my mom was the best cook in town. But as I began to cook I realized her southern recipes while they were delicious and filled with flavor were filled with bacon grease or butter. Wanting to enjoy childhood favorites but without all the fat led me on a journey of learning to cook using more spices, herbs, and special flavor enhancers like bouillons and soup bases which greatly reduced the fat in recipes but still brought the full flavor I was accustomed to in my recipes. My favorites are Mexican, Italian, Asian, Mediteranian, German, Gourmet. As you can tell most are spicy foods full of flavor and the gourmet can be robust to simple flavors. Two of my most favorite southern recipes would be chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and gravy, and chicken and dumplings which are not "healthy" dishes but I learned to use Spelt Flour to reduce the carbs a bit and it doesn't affect the flavor. My family enjoys everything I cook but seem to really like the gourmet dishes the most. It is amazing once you get the new cooking terms down how speedy it can be to prepare a gourmet dish. I finally learned not to over handle pie crust so I make a killer pie. I'm not a good bread maker. I think that comes from my dislike to commit the time needed to prepare the dough. My mom was the best bread maker, but she enjoyed spending the day in the kitchen. For me the best meal is one that takes the least amount of time in the kitchen but still be full of flavor.