I am a 30-something, stay at home daughter. Oldest of 5. I've been cooking since I was 8 years old even if back then it was in the yard with an old pot filled with water and berries (and a little dirt for flavor). My Mama isn't a gourmet cook but if you give her a near empty cupboard she would be able to take whatever's in there and turn it into something not only edible but pretty good too! I learned from the best! I've nearly taken over her kitchen (which she doesn't usually mind :-P ) and enjoy experimenting with new ingredients and ideas but also making the old traditional meals just as well. I love a good recipe swap and if I taste something good you can bet I'll be hunting the person down to find out exactly what they put in the dish! Obviously, therefore, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday! The one time every year when it's expected that you'll be cooking a kitchen full of yummy food! :-)
So, I might not necessarily know what to do with things like shrimp or truffles but I'm always up for a challenge and besides, I'm sure I can find a recipe I can tweak. :-)
