My Swedish Grandmother taught me to cook. So many tastes I thrive on come from her lessons.Food was also a way to learn about different countries and cultures. Understanding a method or ingredient helped me learn about the people and culture of many countries. My daughter grew up eating sushi before it was a restaurant craze because I made it at home. She chose to go to culinary arts college, gettng the opportunity to be trained as a sushi chef. We have learned to adapt local ingredients into our global palate from home for years!!! Mexican- Fish Tacos ( Salmon, trout), Carnitas (perfect slow cookerfood), Enchiladas Verde (I am not a gardener, but learned to raise tomatillos for this personal favorite) German - Sauerbraten (really good from Venison roast), Strudel Chinese- Pork Buns, (Chao Suo Bow), Kung Pao, General Tsao's Chicken Sushi (my daughter became a sushi chef because of our passion for sushi) Piroshki(baked dumpling, great at parties) Each New Year's Day, we make a complete meal from a country of choice, thus travelling to that country. Sushi, 3 layer wedding cakes, finally learning to can and preserve, and in Montana, everyone is a gardener and we trade overrun crops. I will take someone's zucchini and make something with it, giving them some of it, and vice versa. When first married, my husband would be full from dinner and say "so do you want a chopped olive devilled egg tuna fish sandwich" It was some joke his stepdad used to say after a big dinner, but I thought it was something he liked to eat, so one day for his lunch i made it - a mess of chopped olives, tunafish, and hardboiled eggs, in a pickle relish, minced onion,celery slaw and some pickle relish mix. I put this mixture on whole wheat bread with some lettuce and tomato and put it in his lunchbox. He came home askng what it was that was in his lunch... when I told him, he laughed so hard I thought I would have to call 911. Then he explained the joke. Not only did I feel silly, I am still sheepish to make egg or tuna salad sandwiches. (He doesn't like olive salad so I won't even go there)