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It has to be my mom-her cookbooks were always splatered with something. She was an amazing cook-everyone always raved about her creations!

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My Italian immigrant grandparents: Grandpa would grow the produce in his backyard, teaching me at an early age that the freshest ingredients make all the difference in the world. Then Grandma would spend all day cooking, letting me help, and having to be "yelled at" ("Ange! Siddown!") to sit down and enjoy her own work.

my mom and my aunt. before i was born, my mom (and dad) worked their way through many "classic" cookbooks (i.e.: julia child, julie sahni, etc.) and managed to teach themselves the techniques of french, indian, and other cuisines, just becaus they could. my aunt had a successful bakery in minneapolis for some time and worked at the silver palate in new york without having ever gone to culinary school. every time i cook, i aspire to open new doors and learn things through experience.

If I have to pin it to anyone, it's my parents! When I was young, Mom did all of the cooking (except for a lot of the grilling), and then when she went back to work (I was 8 or so), she'd do some prep for me, but I made dinner many nights, consulting with her by phone. Then in my early adolescence, Dad started a consulting biz and worked from home, and he took over the grocery shopping and lots of the meals. So they both contributed! The food/wine DNA is from my dad, though--and Mom still says "I taught her everything she knows and then she far surpassed me in the kitchen!" :-)

Mom, who isn't just a good cook, but a true food lover, easily excited by great ingredients, adventures in new cuisines, and the memory of perfect meals gone by.