I love to cook and enjoy exploring new types of foods, from all regions of the world. I try to use healthy recipes, but I'm definitely not a vegetarian (any more) and believe more in a balance of foods than in any sort of diet. It's challenging at times finding recipes for my husband, who doesn't like tomatoes and is somewhat lactose intolerant, but I've managed to adjust recipes to suit us both. Soup, any kind... I also love making anything "mini"-sized (appetizers, for instance, or mini-cheesecakes, etc.). As for meals, I love making brunch, because there's a bigger range of possibilities-- you can do breakfast foods, lunch foods, even certain dinner foods, salads, desserts, and so on, as long as you have a good flow of flavors and temperatures. It sparks my imagination! I love Thanksgiving, and preparing the turkey, squash, potatoes, and stuffing. However, I like to modify it slightly each year, so that it never becomes the same-old-thing. I'll always love my mom's angel cake with coffee icing, my twin's sweet and savory kielbasa, and my sister's meatloaf. For now, I'm slowly building a repertoire of family traditions within my own house. Some of our favorite meals/recipes, that I end up making once a month or so, include Stracciatella, Reuben Soup, Zuppa Toscana, and African Peanut Soup. (Do you see a pattern here?) I finally developed an apple pie recipe that my husband and I love. I used a few different recipes and added my own twist, and voila! Perfect. I seem to have a loose wire somewhere that prevents me from cooking like my mom. But I'm slowly mastering the home-style meals that eluded my reach for many years (meat loaf, roast beef, lasagne, etc.). Finally, comfort food is an option!