I'm the mother of a good-sized brood, and am lucky to have many opportunities to entertain informally. Also a full-time English teacher in a public school nearby. We cook kosher! We love incorporating middle-eastern, Mexican, Asian, Hungarian, and other cuisines into our family meals. My one VERY favorite dish is bastilla -- a whole day-long project, and absolutely worth it! Also sambusak b'tawah, and almost any soup imaginable. Friday night dinner, without a doubt, is our favorite cooking tradition. Homemade egg bread, homemade soup, homemade ... well, everything! My cooking triumph is that the kids brag to their friends about the home meals they WISH they were eating (while they're away at college), and even post about it on Facebook. I'm pretty forgetful. Things are bound to wind up on the stove, and then get forgotten about. In our house, the smoke alarm and the dinner bell are often the same thing.