ABOUT THIS COOK:

I cook because it makes me happy! I learned from my mother that food can bring joy, nourish loved ones and your relationships with them, and connect you to the world around you.

• What is the strangest food you have ever eaten?
  Something defying description in Africa.

• What do you cook when home alone?
  Soup! It can be quick and simple if I'm hungry or complicated and time-consuming if I want to spend hours in the kitchen.

• Your most treasured kitchen possession:
  My collection of wooden spoons.

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