merrill

Brooklyn, NY
Co-founder of food52; writer-cook

A native Manhattanite gone AWOL, I now live very happily in Park Slope, Brooklyn. I have over 6 years of experience as a freelance food writer and recipe developer, over 7 as a private chef and cooking instructor, a culinary degree from Le Cordon Bleu in London and a highly practical BA in Comparative Literature from Brown University.

• What is the strangest food you have ever eaten?
  Crickets (in Mexico).
• What do you cook when home alone?
  Grits with goat cheese and lots of black pepper.
• Your most treasured kitchen possession:
  Clothes washer (yes, it's in my kitchen).
• Your ideal meal:
  Cheese, salumi, bread, olives, wine.
• Something you'd like a chance to eat or cook:
  Southeast Asian food. Better.
• The number of bottles of wine you own:
  40?
• The ideal number of guests for a dinner party is:
  8 total
• Kitchen pet peeve:
  Washing and drying cilantro.
• Your favorite cookbook:
  For basic reference, I love good old Fanny Farmer.