When I was in high school my older brother brought a cookbook with recipes from around the world. I tried to make couple that were fairly easy to make and was amazed by the taste. I couldn’t believe food can have that much flavor. I later realized it’s not that the recipes was so special. My mother’s food was simply very bland. Not bad, but it was just variations of salt and sour. I don’t make or miss any of her recipes. She makes very good deserts tough.