@cckelly2
I began cooking with my mother's lessons while I was still in the high chair. I lived abroad several times in my youth and had the joy of learning how to cook several cuisines in their native habitat and in the way common to the average cook. I read cookbooks from cover to cover and collect reference cookbooks of styles, cuisines and cooking schools. I currently have many cataologed in my library at Librarything.com and trade on a few book swapping sites. I currently have good reference cookbooks for French, Sweedish, African, Indian, Nepali, American, Polish, Craibbean, Wild-game and others. I also enjoy 'food specific' cookbooks and have ones for Onions, Peanut Butter (boyfriend's favorite food), Garlic, eggs and shellfish. I'm an experimental chef, I work with whatever is at hand and make it up as I go. I like to play with new spice and food pairing and see what happens. I have many "product tasters" willing to sample and give reviews. I enjoy all aspects of food, creation, quality ingredients, presentation, and of course, taste. I like to take unusual combinations of dishes and create ecclectic dinner menus covering several styles. I wish I had the time, money and energy to do this more often...I'd probably have a lot more friends, lol.