I'm a freelance photographer, translator and editor. I have two children under 12 and to my delight, they're both interested in cooking also! I use natural, unprocessed ingredients whenever possible. I know it's healthier but also, certain ingredients of the recipes here are not available in Switzerland. No instant mixes, etc. Separated, I don't cook as creatively and as much as I used to and I miss that but I do simple meals for the children, who are, unfortunately, very fussy! I love stir-fries! So healthy and the vegetables are crunchy. (I loathe over-cooked veg!). I enjoy trying new recipes, which is why I joined all recipes.com, and I like to try different ways of preparing basic main meals. One of my favorite cooks is Anne Lindsey, a Canadian chef who specializes in healthy eating and reduces the amount of fat and sugar in her recipes. You don't miss it and oh, her recipes taste wonderful! Christmas Dinner! Every year, I dread all the shopping, preparation, cooking and above all, timing and always say afterwards, never again but secretly, I love doing it. It's a challenge and I take great pride in the ability to do a complete English Christmas turkey dinner all by myself! I base my dishes on recipes by Delia Smith and Nigella Lawson, as well as my English grandmother's methods and recipes. The children are young and Christmas is a magical, special time for them. I want to keep it that way for as many years as possible! Apart from Christmas dinner, I enjoy entertaining and am thrilled when my guests praise my cooking! I have yet to fail when cooking for friends or special meals and I'm proud of that. Yet I enjoy it so much -cooking is a creative process and one that requires close attention to detail and good organization, not to mention using the best produce i can afford! I'm also pleased when one of my own creations is a success. My own creations sometimes go disastrously wrong! Then everyone is miserable and annoyed, including me. Also, I tend to underestimate preparation time and we end up eating far too late! So I make notes in my recipe books. A kind of tragedy is the fact that I'm fatally allergic to peanuts. Anaphylaxis results and I've had a few close calls. I'm also allergic to many high-protein vegetables and pulses, including peas, chick-peas, lentils, certain beans and anything made from soya.