Specialty.

I recently read that Mastering the Art of French Cooking is enjoying a resurgence in popularity thanks to Julie & Julia. I haven't seen the movie yet -- although, I did read the book and Julia's My Life in Paris --nor have I mastered the art of French cooking.

Instead, I have mastered the art of single cooking. Which is to say that I don't. Its not that I can't cook. Anyone who can read can cook. (Mind you, I don't think that anyone who can cook can be a chef. That's taking it beyond the written recipe into the world of art and imagination.) I just don't think that I am worth the time and effort it takes to cook, from the ingredient purchasing to the pot cleaning afterwards. Its possible I would feel differently if I liked leftovers, but I don't like them at all. Not even leftover pizza.

Despite this, I do have four dishes I can make consistently well: peanut butter cookies, banana bread, rice krispie treats, and angel food cake. (Yes, all baking. Baking is better when you're single -- its much easier to leave some cookies in someone's office than it is to leave a chicken breast.) Sadly, only the latter takes any kind of skill at all to make. Despite their simplicity, the krispie treats tend to be a crowd-pleaser. I think the special ingredient is love -- I love to make them with their marshmellow gooey goodness.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWZXoGZijH4#watch-main-area