ABOUT THIS COOK:

Self-taught cook, organic-leaning, largely-vegetarian mommy who still believes there's no substitute for butter or bacon.

• What is the strangest food you have ever eaten?
  My worst cooking error -- quiche with condensed milk instead of evaporated. Ewww.

• What do you cook when home alone?
  Very little.

• Your most treasured kitchen possession:
  Couldn't function without my coffee maker, and my KitchenAid mixer with the glued-on googly eyes always makes me smile.

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