I'm on my third career, now working in graphic arts. I used to live in Chicago and learned to enjoy more ethnic food, to appreciate better vegetables and the joys of wok cooking and rice. I am an eccentric bachelor and would like to see more recipes for those with roommates rather than children (although they are very similar). I like dishes that are either quick and easy or those using only a single dish (I hate washing dishes). I think frozen foods are a gift from the gods. I make a nearly bottomless pot of chili that can be eaten on for up to a week. I also like to make a big pot of rice for the same reason, to use throughout the week. My mother only made a couple of things that were memorable, the rest being the dictates of my father, a Southern poor boy who had to have beans with every meal and everything cooked in bacon grease. But ocassionally she made very good chicken chow mein and her cornbread (never sweet) was always good. Besides my chili, my only other cooking triumph was fish and stirfry veggies over a bed of rice and chow mein noodles. This could be done with all prepared ingredients and piled high on the plate. I can't really think of anything that I made that absolutely was tragically unedible. However, once a friend using my oven which rarely was used tried to make beer bread which turned out a hockey pucks. We didn't know the oven's thermometer was so far off.