Advice from an ex

I have often told people, and it's true, that I learned to cook from the men in my life (sorry Mom). My ex-husband is an incredible cook and has a very creative sense about him and rarely follows a recipe, a trait of which I am very jealous and one that I see in my son when he cooks. My last boyfriend opened me up to meats that I had never even eaten, much less thought of cooking, for example, thick slabs of pork and beef....lamb and duck. Gone were the days of just cooking chicken and fish. After our break-up, my ex-boyfriend told me once that he had cooked an elaborate meal for himself, which I found odd. When I asked him why his answer was "why not?" He said that he cooked to escape the boredom of his new found single status (yes we are still friends...I just can't learn to hate my ex's). Having time on my hands that I haven't always had, I took his advice and returned to cooking as well. I learned to try dishes I would have feared in the past and have found it to be a very rewarding hobby.