ABOUT THIS COOK:

I am a mother to a fifteen-month old little girl, and am expecting my second child this autumn. I love to find time to cook for my growing family, and try to make food that is pretty gourmet but at the same time very nutritious. I also am a PhD candidate working towards a degree in history. In my spare time (I do not have much these days), I love to read history of food books, like The United States of Arugula, or food memoirs, such as Ruth Reichl's Comfort Me with Apples.

• What is the strangest food you have ever eaten?
  An uni flan (made with sea urchin). I tried it just for the experience, but it tasted like a big gulp of salty ocean water and the texture was way too slimy for me.

• What do you cook when home alone?
  I get the most joy from cooking for other people so when I am home alone I usually just make something simple like an Havarti cheese and heirloom tomato sandwich (with a little mayo and generous salt and pepper). I also have a bit of an addiction to watermelon juice so would love some of that to drink with my meal!

• Your most treasured kitchen possession:
  I love my onion goggles! I also could not live without my Cuisinart miniature food processor or my OXO garlic press. Currently on my wish list is a SodaStream sparkling water maker.

• The ideal number of guests for a dinner party is:
  I think 6 to 8 is ideal for a dinner party, at least for the size of my house. If I had a mansion, I would love to invite 20 people and have a huge feast.