ABOUT THIS COOK:

• What is the strangest food you have ever eaten?
  Fire roasted tarantula in the Amazon rain forest

• What do you cook when home alone?
  I'm kinda obsessed with arugula, goat cheese and beet salads with dried fruits and nuts, so that's a favorite alone meal. Fresh, crusty bread with cheese, pesto or tapenade accompanied by a gin martini (extra olives) also makes me very, very happy.

• Your most treasured kitchen possession:
  My pairing knife and small serrated knife.