ABOUT THIS COOK:

• What is the strangest food you have ever eaten?
  Rattlesnake? I guess strange things seem more normal after you've eaten them.

• What do you cook when home alone?
  Something simple, like scrambled eggs and salad. Or steak and salad. Or soup and salad.

• Your most treasured kitchen possession:
  These are difficult questions. I adore my knives, my cast-iron pan, my pots of herbs...

• The ideal number of guests for a dinner party is:
  6