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I started cooking again recently! Thank goodness, although I love eating out with friends and the ease that comes with someone else preparing my meals, I have come to realize how much I missed chopping and mincing. I think when most "cooks" think of the people who influenced them the most in their culinary journey they probably think of Rachel Ray or Paula Dean but I think of my mother and grandmother. I remember my grandmother spending hours on hours in the kitchen cooking up recipes that my brothers, sisters and I still wish for. Or my mom making her signature dishes that no matter how many stars a restaraunt has they cant even begin to scratch the surface of my mom's home-made spaghetti sauce or stuffed mushrooms. Whats great about those women is that their recipes are entirely their own! They both experimented until they found just the right combo of spices that create lasting memories of love and family! This is exactly the reason I love cooking now. As much as I appreciate a good meal I find the preparation of it much more enjoyable when I am able to share it with the people I love! What good are chicken enchiladas or breakfast burritos or home-made salsa if there is no one else around to enjoy them with you? (Alright I'll admit they are probably still really great, but they are made even greater when shared with someone you love.) Sharing recipes and discussing techniques have been so fun for me and my foodie friends this last year. I hope one day I'll get to share my cooking with many more loved ones.