I cook to eat good food, but don't necessarily like to cook. I like to cook things that are made by other businesses and that I get tired of paying for like favorite restaurant dishes, candies, gourmet cupcakes etc. I'm originally from Louisiana and know how to cook Cajun food. Gumbo would be a family tradition When I figured out that I didn't have to follow a recipe to a "T". I started adding my own touches or even combining elements of several different recipes of the same dish to make it my own. I also no longer measure unless I am making a recipe for the first time, but I usually end up adding a little more of this or a little less of that to suit my own taste. Not paying attention to the measurements listed on a recipe. After gaining experience you know if a cupcake recipe calls for a tablespoon of salt then something is wrong.