ABOUT THIS COOK:

• What is the strangest food you have ever eaten?
  "Strange" is just a question of perspective or custom. That said, here are some things I've eaten that others might consider strange: raw sea urchin (uni); magerítsa (Greek Easter soup of lamb innards); strange food combination of pickles with peanut butter (no, I was not pregnant!); boiled fresh peanuts (not strange at all if you're from the Southern U.S.)

• What do you cook when home alone?
  Morning: oatmeal with vanilla and blueberries. Afternoon: soups. Evening: soba noodles with shitake dashi broth. Any time: old-fashioned, labor-intensive Greek pastries.

• Your most treasured kitchen possession:
  No way can I pick just one. It's a toss-up: mortar & pestle given to me by my mom; candy dish that used to belong to my aunt; Le Creuset pots/ramekins (in red); odd-size measuring cups and spoons; my set of spring-form pans . . .

• The ideal number of guests for a dinner party is:
  6 to 8