What's the best meal you've had?You'd need to go a very long way to beat my partner's roast chicken. A great meal is more than the sum of the ingredients; it's about whom you dine with, how you feel, the angle of the sun even… I'
ve had a magic time just eating fish and chips sitting on my van roof looking over Argyll.
What's the worst meal you've had?Anything that promises much but fails to deliver.
What's in your fridge?Isle of Mull Cheddar, Heart Buchanan romesco sauce, chocolate milk, sauvignon blanc, a very shrivelled pink grapefruit, some mint sauce I kept to dip roasties in, Fujichrome film, eggs.
What's your hangover fix?Sleep, cold water and Monster Munch.
Do you have a guilty pleasure?A roll with crisps and salad cream.
What's your classic standby recipe?A good, simple risotto. You can make it around any seasonal ingredient, and it's a total store-cupboard dish.
Who would you invite to a fantasy dinner party?My partner (a great host), Wylie Dufresne (a New York chef), John le Carré (writer and wise man), Patton Oswalt (extraordinary stand-up comedian and a great gourmet), Ruby Flowers (super-creative, charming and excellent friend), Victoria Carroll (talented actress, great mother, great friend) and Alice Waters (visionary gourmet). This group of people could change the world… or bits of it.
Which food says home to you?The kind that fills the house with really good smells: chicken casserole, cheese on toast, French onion soup, bacon rolls…
Do you buy organic?It's important but it's more important to me to buy from local, independent producers.
How tidy is your kitchen?It's a clean, working kitchen. I know where everything is and I wouldn't be embarrassed if somebody stopped by unexpectedly.
The full article contains 344 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
