I'm a lifelong vegetarian (but not a preachy one). I love cheese, chilies, pistachios, and spices. And lots of other things, but, I can't emphasize enough that cheese is my true love. Although I love to bake, I don't have a sweet tooth. I prefer working with chocolate and sugar to eating them. If I could eat only one cuisine for the rest of my life, it would be a tight race between South Indian, which I grew up eating, and Thai (hold the fish sauce). I get annoyed by people who drink coffee solely as a vehicle for caffeine - it's no better than drinking cheap booze just to get drunk. My burr grinder and French press don't get used every day, but when they do, I'm very happy. I care deepy about food policy and fixing the broken American food system in which a hamburger at McDonald's costs less than a bunch of kale.

1. What is the strangest food you have ever eaten?

   Velveeta. Although technically it is "cheese food product," not food, so I guess the strangest real food I've eaten is durian.

2. What do you cook when home alone?

   I'm lazy and make quesadillas in the microwave or eat random things out of the fridge - a handful of olives, a few spoons of jam, a glass of wine, a chunk of sourdough baguette. I don't like cooking for myself.

3. Your most treasured kitchen possession:

   My violet KitchenAid mixer, which, unfortunately, has been acting up lately.

4. The ideal number of guests for a dinner party is:

   8