 Teach Me Everything!!!
I love cooking which I'd imagine is common here.
Anyhow, I honestly am not all that experienced compared to others. I am the type of cook who is constantly experimenting and trying something new. I learn fairly quickly and can usually tell where I've erred when things don't come out terrific.
I cook for myself mostly, but I cook every other week for my church of 200 which I enjoy because a lot of homeless folks go to my church and I can provide them with flavored food. After all, many charities that feed the homeless skimp on the flavor as spices tend to be somewhat expensive. I don't skimp on the spices, but I also like cooking for the homeless because calories are healthy for the homeless as many of them don't get enough calories.
I love Alton Brown and his approach to a television chef show. To me, most chef shows on television are garbage because all they do is present some recipe which is not what I'm looking for because they don't explain how they created that recipe or how it could be manipulated. I love that Alton Brown will take time to break down the differences between root starches and grain starches and will explain the scientific backing behind so many things.
Currently, I'm trying to expand into as many cuisines as possible. This is a natural inclination because I started from a unique base. My mother's side is New Mexican and so we make terrific New Mexican cuisine in my family. My father is German, so we make some good German food on that side of the family. Of course, the German side is pretty Americanized, so we have a lot of American influence, too. My stepfamily is Japanese, so we make Japanese food. Sometimes we go matsutake mushroom hunting in the mountains around here.
I really started to cook because I always thought that my mom was inadequate. I'd complain about her food as a child (Which was good, but not great). She used to tell me that if I thought I could do better, I should cook. Of course I took her up on this offer and am happy that I did. I love cooking.
I don't really use recipes when cooking. I will often look at recipes for inspiration, but in the end, I much prefer coming up with my own ideas.
Pleased to meet you.
I'm excited to learn from you all.  | 
