ABOUT THIS COOK:

I am a 40-something mother of 3 who loves to cook and, even more, to eat. I hope to instill that same love of cooking in my children who are my regular cooking buddies in the kitchen.

• What is the strangest food you have ever eaten?
  pickled pigs ears from back in the days when I worked in a Chinese restaurant.

• What do you cook when home alone?
  A fried egg sandwich is my favorite quick meal.

• Your most treasured kitchen possession:
  I love my pots -- All Clad, Creuset -- more than a person should.

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