I've always been told that if my career in academia doesn't pan out, I should become a pastry chef. I loooooove baking. They call me the Cookie Queen! Every Christmas I bake somewhere in the neighbourhood of 2-3000 cookies, not to mention breads and squares and so on. (I have a recipe for Kahlua espresso brownies that is to DIE for...)

I have a web-site with a lot of my favourite recipes on it; I won't post the link here because the site gives away too much about my identity for me to want to link it here, but if anyone wants some tried-and-true recipes or if you have recipes you want to share, PM me and I'll pass along the URL.

You don't have to be a culinary genius to cook well. When I babysit kids one of my favourite activities is to bake with them --- we make gingerbread, because the dough withstands lots of mucking about, and then while the cookies are cooling we walk to the store and buy some special candies to decorate them with. If a 4-year-old can do it, anyone can!

--- sweetstuff

p.s. In the spirit of Diva's popcorn chicken, I offer a modern practical-minded chef's version of the traditional Christmas cake recipe:

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups dried fruit
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar
lemon juice
nuts
1 gallon whiskey

Sample the whiskey to check for quality.
Take a large bowl.
Check the whiskey again to be sure it is of the highest quality.
Pour one level cup and drink.
Repeat.
Turn on the electric mixer; beat 1 cup butter in a large, fluffy bowl.
Add 1 teaspoon sugar and beat again.

Make sure the whiskey is still OK. Cry another tup. Turn off mixer.

Break 2 legs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.
Mix on the turner.
If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers, pry it loose with a drewscriver.
Sample the whiskey to check for tonsisticity.

Next, sift 2 cups of salt. Or something. Who cares?
Check the whiskey.
Now sift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.
Add one table. Spoon. Of sugar or something. Whatever you can find.
Grease the oven.

Turn the cake tin to 350 degrees.
Don't forget to beat off the turner.
Throw the bowl out of the window.
Check the whiskey again.
Go to bed.
Who the hell likes fruitcake anyway?

__________________
"You can't test courage cautiously." --- Annie Dillard