ABOUT THIS COOK:

Career: writer and editor. Passion: cooking! Love to blend the two when possible...have worked on "Dine Out Phoenix: Where to Eat from Chic to Unique" with my friend Pam Swartz, and have written tons of profiles on local restaurants and chefs for various publications.

• What is the strangest food you have ever eaten?
  goat's cheek (at a Maasai warrior's camp in Kenya). I declined the eyeball.

• What do you cook when home alone?
  A simple pasta or risotto dish, preferably.

• Your most treasured kitchen possession:
  A toss-up between my KitchenAid mixer and my Henckel 5-star knife set.

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