by Toni Anne

Created on: March 15, 2009

When little girls start following their mommies into the kitchen and asking to help, this would be an opportune time to start teaching them to cook. However, in my case, I was following my grandfather outside to learn how to mow the lawn, weed the garden, and if I was lucky, go fishing afterward. So, the standard progression from childhood, to teen, to adulthood for me was quite different in regards to cooking. I am a self-taught chef with plenty of burns, bad meals, and disastrous results under my apron.

I began my cooking trade as a very young wife and mother. I could barely boil an egg or fry bacon. My husband, at that time, was very gracious in eating just about anything I cooked, burnt or not. What a gentleman! What I find truly amazing is both my grandmother and mother are great cooks. They thoroughly enjoy combining specific ingredients required to put a good meal on the table. Not me. I loathed cooking.

When I married the second time, I became more interested in cooking because I wanted to impress my husband. After all, I married an Italian. I started asking my mother questions about which meats were the best to use, how to make gravies, and other dishes that were easy to make. I had to begin slowly and work my way up to the fancier dinners. My nemesis was always dinner rolls and biscuits. I would invariably forget them in the oven and by the time I smelled them during the meal, they had turned into hockey pucks. One would think I'd use the timer on the stove to solve that problem but it just didn't register in my mind.

The good news is, over the years, I did become a reasonably good cook. My favorite meals are traditionally southern. Usually something like Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes with gravy, and greens became my specialty. I also make an awesome pot of chili based on my father's homemade recipe. I'd tell you the secret ingredient, but then my dad would eliminate me; its classified information. He also taught me how to cook a scrumptious fried fish platter. Walleye is the tastiest fish to fry. Using a coating of breadcrumbs, dipped in egg, fried to a golden brown can make your mouth water. A good side dish of homemade coleslaw is a perfect match.

Here I am 42 years old with about 20 years of good cooking in my repertoire and I am loving every minute of it. Recently, I have been introduced to some of the best quality foods in the world. Greece is a haven for fresh fruits, vegetables, and, spices, and meats. Ideally, the country is powered by their

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