I had my first cooking experience at the age of 15 (or 14, I can remember) and as far as I can remember I believe I did a fairly decent job.
My mom is an amazing cook (as most if not all moms are) and when I was growing up, in an attempt to learn a thing or two, I'd always lurk around the kitchen while she was cooking. Anyway, needless to say that I am not as great a cook as I once hoped I'd become but I still take pride in the fact that I can at least make a dish without spoiling the food, burning down the kitchen, or cutting myself into a million and one pieces. :biggthumb