ABOUT THIS COOK:

Naturally caffeinated writer and accidental food blogger. Work history: Former child, still growing. Former student, still learning. Former adwriter, still scribbling words and big pictures. Former pr writer, still working on headlines. Former science museum exhibit developer, still cookin' up stuff for visitors. Current web content writer, still curious . . . watching the plot boil. At leisure: blogger, baker, pasta-maker and sometimes photographer For my collection of recipes, posts on travel, books, family life and otherwise random technical difficulties, follow me @vivianhenoch or please visit http://open.salon.com/blog/vivianh

• What is the strangest food you have ever eaten?
  I can't say exactly what it was, but it came out of a snack box served on a Chinese airline.

• What do you cook when home alone?
  A cheesy veg omelet or a simple egg & potato scramble always makes me happy. With a good book and a glass of wine.

• Your most treasured kitchen possession:
  My KitchenAid Mixer, forever. A wedding gift, now nearly an antique.

• The ideal number of guests for a dinner party is:
  8 (Despite my excessive rule of thumb: cook for double the number served.)