I am a nonprofit manager who loves to unwind by cooking. I love spicy food, and food that has cultural flair. As such I think I'm pretty adventurous, and love to try and make foods that make me feel like I'm on vacation. I love to cook (and eat) anything with a lot of spice and/or a lot of fire. Of late I've been making quite a lot of Middle Eastern, Indian, Tibetan, Nepalese and Pakistani food. The rich gravies are loaded with spice, and the dishes are much healthier than food from many other countries (though not always!). I am also trying to be a better baker since burnt cake, cookies and bread have been my legacy. Oh, and I am also a coffee freak--hence the name Javagoddess. I make coffee in our espresso machine several times per day. My Mom's family is Puerto Rican, so it combines so many elements--Carib, Spanish, African, American, etc. As a result, I've come to love foods that incorporate tomatoes, chiles, citrus fruits, rice, and barbecue. Oddly enough, I don't at all care for fish or seafood. Someday maybe I'll submit the mean green chile that has been a tradition in my family (although being of Puerto Rican, and not Mexican, ancestry it's more red than green because of the addition of tomatoes). I probably make this dish at least two times per month. Not being fans of traditional ham, turkey, mashed potato Christmas food, my husband and I decided to invite family one year and go Southern. We whipped up a big spicy batch of jambalaya, collard greens and split pea soup, then had an old-fashioned ice box cake for dessert. None. Really. Don't you believe me? (A good cook never reveals such a thing!)