ABOUT THIS COOK:

My motto: Full Belly, Happy Heart. (from a Latin American saying) A waitress by trade, a cook at heart, and a writer in ambition, I believe in celebrating the moment. Whether modestly or luxuriously, we create human-emotional-social bonds through the sharing of food and drink. And I look forward to every moment in which we build intimacy and emotive memory, especially if we get to savor a yummy meal in the meantime.

• What is the strangest food you have ever eaten?
  aspic

• What do you cook when home alone?
  stir fries of all kinds

• Your most treasured kitchen possession:
  a teal enamel vintage roasting pan

• The ideal number of guests for a dinner party is:
  8-10