I started cooking at a very young age. I was seven when I fixed the first family meal, do to the fact that my Mom was sick when I was small. Are things that my family will eat with out complaining and that is a feat in it's self. I sneak things in on them to boast more health diets for us. On my side of the family there is several different ethnics there but my husband is Spanish American. Growing up I had Italian, German, French, Native American, and American food. And we had lots of fish because it was free. Become a good New Mexican cook. Help my husband's Uncle in his catering business when he was a live. And when I over heard him tell someone, he was now learning from me. He sent me to classes to learn how to decorate cakes for our business. Learning to be a good Baker and all the tricks was great. First time I tried to make tortilla the dog wouldn't even eat them. Now it is funny but at the time I cried. I was only 18 at the time as well. Thank God my husband's Uncle helped me learn how to fix the dishes my Husband grow up on.