The doctor is in - the kitchen that is. When he's not delivering babies, Dr. Randy Webb enjoys delivering a tasty dish from his Marietta kitchen.

Webb, a Marietta native, grew up with a father who cooked. "That always influenced me," said Webb, who graduated from Marietta High School. "There was no reason I shouldn't be in the kitchen."

Webb and his wife, Pam, enjoyed taking cooking classes at Ursula's Cooking School for nine years. "Although we did it as a date, it led to a lot of different dishes and recipes and trying things I wouldn't ordinarily try," he said.

Webb, who majored in chemistry at Auburn University, says he is "more of a person who would follow a recipe."

"The older I've gotten, I can eyeball it but, for the most part, I follow the directions pretty well," he said.

But Webb's culinary talents aren't confined to someone else's recipes. Webb's shrimp creole served over rice is a dish he created by combining two recipes, one he received from a friend while attending Medical College of Georgia and another from the cookbook "Teatime at the Masters."

Webb, who has practiced with North Cobb Women's Health since 1987, thinks it's a good idea for anyone to learn to cook one or two dishes and be comfortable with them. "It's a nice asset to have," he said.

"I've had my failures in the kitchen but they don't bother me," said the father of Natalie and Davis. "Don't be scared to try anything."

"My real talent in the kitchen is really cleaning up rather than cooking," said Webb with a chuckle.

But Webb's shrimp creole proves to the contrary - and a second opinion is unnecessary.