Cooking is my first love, but I'm also a lawyer and a loving aunt to eight. It's sad to see how technology is reducing the need for cookbooks, because there's nothing like perusing a good cookbook - so much more fun (if more time-consuming) than searching a website. My favorite things to cook are dishes that I've never tried before. Taking on a brand-new recipe, especially one that's purported to be "difficult," is so much fun. I love to make my late mother's recipes. She had great ones for Beef Stew, Chili, and German Potato Salad, and some luscious, "old-fashioned" appetizers. I also have a recipe from my grandmother for something called "Cerritz," an egg cheese that's a must for our family at Easter. When I was only 8 years old, I cooked breakfast (scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast) for my entire family without any assistance. Now much older, I consider every successful Thanksgiving, Easter, and Christmas Eve dinner to be a triumph. I usually cook for about 20 people at each holiday. "Tragedies" is a strong word, so I can't say that I've actually had a tragic cooking experience.