My name is Brandon and I live in eastern TN (tri-cities). I started cooking when I moved out of mom and dad's (eat or starve, right?). I never thought that I would really enjoy cooking much; it always seemed like just a chore. I remember making my very first meal (breaded baked chicken with canned garlic bread sticks haha) and having such a fun time creating something. Since then I have expanded my culinary knowledge, talent, and kitchen gadget collection. I have a dream to one day quit my day job and work in a bakery (I love bread!), but until then I work as a speech pathologist to pay the bills :). I love talking with cooks, so feel free to send me a comment anytime! I'd try to cook anything. But I really enjoy bread and pastry. I just received a stand mixer for christmas so kneading bread is now as easy as flipping a switch, which is going to make for some serious carb consumption :p. I've just started trying out pastry dough, which is fun but challenging. I also love to create pasta dishes--I would love to someday buy the pasta machine attachments for my stand mixer. Candy cane spritz cookies with mom at Christmas, homemade buttermilk biscuits with mamaw when I was 4, Sunday dinner fried chicken with cornbread (I don't cook that way any more haha). Not burning my apartment down yet :). I feel proud of anything that turns out beautifully and tastes great (or even edible haha). Broiled eggplant....the only thing yet that I can say I couldn't finish. The recipe was from a "college cookbook" and called to soak sliced eggplant in balsamic vinegar and worchestershire and then broil or grill....Mine was so tart and soggy...maybe I didn't cook it long enough? Also, the first time I ever used my slowcooker I made tamale pie, and dropped the rubber band used to transport the ceramic dish and keep the lid on into the pie....it didn't melt but it gave my tamale pie a nice rubber undertone :).