ABOUT THIS COOK:

I live close to one of the best 'foodie' towns in the USA - Portland, Maine. I am working my way through the restaurants slowly. I love to cook for family and friends. Love to teach cooking and share tips. I have worked as a caterer with my own company - The British Butler. Now I am semi retired and work with people who want to be better organized. The photo shows me with my niece, Ella, and nephew, Luke, dining in Whitstable last summer. Ella, (10) ate a whole flounder, Luke (5) prawns, and I ate oysters, but they were not as good at the Malden oysters I ate from a street vendor in Chelsea. They were better than Maine oysters!

• What do you cook when home alone?
  eggs with spinach

• Your most treasured kitchen possession:
  a pepper mill bought in Florence on my 21st birthday trip

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