I am a self taught, now professional, cook. I've learned more from the disasters I've managed to turn into successes than the stuff that worked. I'd love to read your stories about snatching victory from the jaws of culinary defeat.

Here's one of mine - years ago a friend invited me to a party. She asked me to come over early and bring a pie, not one of my specialties. She had also invited a bunch of people I didn't know and had been telling them that I was a great cook. So the presure was high. I showed up with a summer berry pie. When i cut into it I discovered the bottom crust was soggy and underdone. i hadn't pre-baked the crust. So I flipped it over and put it in the oven until the crust was done. I sprinkled the crust with cinnamon sugar and called it upside-down berry pie and nobody knew I had screwed up. I also learned that most crusts need to be pre-baked.

What's your story?