Researching Kitchens to cook my first ROM

[amw1972]

I'm starting my research on cooking my own ROM (for personal use.) I have d/led eRice's and SSK's. I have messed with both and noticed a huge difference in "understandability" I'm not quite a noob...but not experienced enough to understand every little thing in SSK's kitchen...so...I'm asking if there might be other threads that may be a good jump start point for me to start reading?

Second of all, I know that cab's can be turned into OEM and then cooked into a ROM...How would I be able to do that? Also, is there a place where OEM's are kinda just floating out in cyberspace for anyone's whim to download?

Finally...is there such a thing as a "starter" kitchen...meaning it is "user friendly" explains things as you go along building your ROM...instead of just opening up and let you tinker away?