What a panic on the first day in your first apartment after your first divorce!! She was a fabulous cook. I always liked cooking, but got kicked out of the kitchen when my wife took it over after learning how to make a 3 min. egg. I just resurrected the skills I had 20 years ago. Spaghetti sauce and Chili are my very best, because I make a 4 litre potfull, simmered for 2 hours, constantly testing for spices. I love bean dishes - hummus, lentil soups, refried beans. Every weekend I had my boys, I made pancakes or waffles at least once, from scratch, including the syrup using maple flavoring. I will post the batter recipe. It's a 'never fail'. It would have to be pancakes, eggs and a pound of bacon on the weekends my boys came over. In Georgia in 2004, I set up housekeeping near Atlanta. I was rebuilding a house, and had 4 Mexican carpet layers over all weekend. I made them Bean Burritos with my own refried beans from scratch. They all said they were the best they had ever had. And I'm a Canadian!!! Never had one that was memorable. Friends come for company, strangers don't matter. Incinerating a turkey or something, is mostly just funny. For a long time.