I'm a frustrated medical professional! I make too much money to give up my job and cook. I haven't figured out a way to make a healthy living doing what I love. I grew up cooking southern food, trained by the 2 best chefs I have ever met, my Mom and Nanny. I feel blessed that they instilled in me the love of cooking and that their traditions live on through my cooking. Cookbooks and foodie magazines are my version of porn! I love, love, love cooking French and Italian recipes! Also, simpler things like grilled cheese sandwiches with homemade tomato soup and chili. I also entertain a good bit, so I'm always trying to come up with new ideas for finger foods. Definitely the holidays, and any government holiday will be a good excuse to cook up something fabulous and have some friends over. The last Christmas holiday that my parents were alive, they spent with me. I was so proud to reproduce everything that my Mom would have cooked at her house if she had been able! It all tasted just like she had cooked it! On that same Christmas, I had made a huge pan of macaroni and cheese for all of the kids and vegetarians. As I was just getting ready to pop it in the oven, I thought, well, this is the same old, same old... what can I do to make it better? What would Paula (Deen) do? So I added sour cream. It was delicious! Apparently, too delicious, my dog climbed up on the stove and knocked it to the ground, eating it all! Fortunately, it was after everybody had gotten at least one serving!