ABOUT THIS COOK:

I loved "The Cook and the Gardener" - that was how I learned to cook a duck! For me, cooking has always been a part of my life - it's how I share my time with my family and friends. I've been hosting "dinners" since I was in elementary school.

• What is the strangest food you have ever eaten?
  Impossible to answer - strange is soooo variable - for instance when I first ate sushi (1970) it was "strange."

• What do you cook when home alone?
  Anything with noodles - pastas, asian soups, mac and cheese

• Your most treasured kitchen possession:
  My 8' chef's knife

• The ideal number of guests for a dinner party is:
  8 - unless there's a loud bore - then you need ALOT more guests.