I'm a scientist...a protein chemist to be specific and I'm always busy these days. But, in my free time cooking my favorite hobby. I am so enthusiastic about trying new things that I hardly ever make things twice, just favorites. I like to collect kitchen gadgets. My favorite recipes are ones that have a "surprise ingredient" you can't taste but makes a dish taste better! Besides that, I like making casseroles and soups. I enjoy fruits, vegetables, spices and try to keepa healthy diet most of the time. My mom makes variety cookies every year at Christmas and brings them to her friends houses and the neighbors. The one or two days when the baking is done are always festive and a hallmark of the holiday season. This is something I started to do this year and hope to continue the tradition. My cousin's bridal shower, when I prepared an entire lunch, complete with appetizers, drinks and dessert, for 20 people. I hadn't cooked for 20 before, but there were no huge glitches and everyone enjoyed it (or, at least ate it) - definitely a cooking triumph. One time I tried to make trifle, an English dessert, but I messed up the custard and it didn't thicken at all. I assembled the trifle anyway and put it in the fridge hoping to firm it up by chilling it...it didn't and I got was a trifle soup - chilly and runny - bleh bleh bleh!!! I still don't know what went wrong!?!