re: Where/how/when did you learn to cook?

I don't consider myself a great cook but definitely picked up a lot from my dad and later in my 20s I took an interest in learning how to cook at least a few staple dishes at a high level.

Was probably about 32 before I would have considered myself a pretty good cook.

I experiment a lot and still have the occasional flop. But I find you learn through trial and error.

Helping my mom in the kitchen when I was young. We rarely ate out.

I'm the oldest of 3. My parents divorced when I was in 6th grade. Mom worked two or three jobs and didn't have time/energy to cook much. My dad was never around. If we were to eat, it was up to me to do something. I made quick easy food because we were poor and I was young.

I really didn't venture much out of the quick meal comfort zone until about 15 years ago. Due to a job change, I had more time at home and was able to put more effort and thought into dinner. I started "experiment night" once a week. It's where someone in the family picks something to make that none of us have ever had before. I still do this today. It's challenging and fun. It's also a little weird to make something you've never had before because you don't really know what its SUPPOSED to taste like. I loved the Gonzales style jam that I made from this board, but I'm not sure if it taste like it should have.

One of my kids shows an interest in food and cooking. Hope to pass some of it along.

Always had basic skills, and mom made me start cooking a meal for the family every week or so before college. Thought it was a boring chore. Started to get into it in college making boxed jambalaya and wanting to learn how to do things from scratch.

Now I wish I would have taken more advantage of a nice full kitchen and my mom paying for any food I wanted to make.