I wrote this book to offer to anyone who is looking for another perspective and method of achieving not only terrific cooking but also to living a fuller life. I wanted to share with people I will probably never meet my outlook on life's choices and some of my favorite recipes. This book is designed for people who are brand new to being on their own, have never cooked before for whatever reason and have to learn now, and are looking for some practical guidance in the mystical arena of food preparation. I have tried to make the art of cooking easy to understand and even easier to master. I have stayed away from using fancy technical terms and overly intricate recipes, and have focused on using language that the average person can easily understand. After all, how many people actually eat all that fancy food on a regular basis? Hamburger, pork chops, and chicken are really and truly what's on the average person's grocery list. Not truffles, and caviar or goose liver pate. I mean, really. Dixie Ray - author