I am quite comfortable in the kitchen and am learning not to be afraid to tweak and customize recipes. I have a definite preference for baking, but can cook a pretty good meal as well.
My favorite things to cook
Anything that utilizes whole ingredients. I really dislike recipes that call for premixed food (e.g., cake mixes, canned soup, pie shells, etc.) Seriously, how can you call the end result of such a recipe "homemade?"
My cooking tragedies
I made a black forest brownie a few years back, and despite baking it considerably longer than recommended, the center was raw batter. I was so disappointed because the areas that were baked through tasted really good. Now I bake this in a larger pan!