ABOUT THIS COOK:

I live in a little apartment on the edge of the Pacific where I am completing my thesis for an Honors degree in English Literature. I am also a freelance lifestyle photographer, I teach English and I practice yoga. My husband and I have recently been living and traveling in Europe, where we fell in love with the cultures that adore food and savor the special moments of life. My food style is elegant, organic and natural. Each aspect of the food experience interests me - the social connection that happens over a glass of wine at a dinner party; the tranquility found in a quiet cup of loose leaf tea at a favorite shop with antique tables; the elegance inspired by the ambiance of a fine restaurant; the profound way that food nourishes and heals the body; the beauty of cutting into a ripe fig; the poetry created by the story of visiting an outdoor market.

• Your most treasured kitchen possession:
  Olive wood rolling pin brought home from a market in the south of France.

• The ideal number of guests for a dinner party is:
  Six.