ABOUT THIS COOK:

I've been lucky enough to teach cooking in San Francisco for the past 11 years. I've got the greatest job in the world in the greatest city in the world. I teach real people how to fit real cooking into their real lives-what could be better? My favorite work day is when my inbox is flooded with questions from past students...it means they're cooking and I've done my job. I've written three cookbooks, two are coming out Spring 2010 and the first, New Flavors for Vegetables, came out fall of 2009. Cooking, eating, traveling, and of course spending time with my family are my passions. Life is good.

• What is the strangest food you have ever eaten?
  whale sperm in yuzu

• What do you cook when home alone?
  pancakes or scrambled eggs with feta

• Your most treasured kitchen possession:
  my Better Crocker Cooky Book and my grandma's egg slicer

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