ABOUT THIS COOK:

My name is Anna Watson Carl. Over the years, I've worked as a personal chef, taught cooking classes, edited cookbooks, written for magazines, tested and styled recipes, and traveled whenever the opportunity has arisen. But at heart, there's nothing I love more than sharing a meal with friends around the yellow table. I believe that cooking is the greatest way to a healthy lifestyle...that flavorful food can be had on a budget...that the dinner table is the heart of the home...that conversation must not become a lost art...that there is no celebration too small for bubbly...that a home-cooked meal feeds more than just the body...that there's nothing like a dinner party to propel tomorrow's ideas, tonight's relationships, and maybe even inspire a little bit of music.

• What is the strangest food you have ever eaten?
  Fried cod tongue

• What do you cook when home alone?
  Avocado toast with lemon and red pepper flakes

• Your most treasured kitchen possession:
  My red Le Creuset dutch oven!

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