Where is your hometown?
Basking Ridge, NJ
What is your favorite holiday to cook for?
New Year's Day - I have a large party so I can start the new year surrounded by friends and family. It's also a chance to cook a lot of new recipes - this crowd loves to try new foods.
What kitchen utensil you can't live without?
Timers - I've usually got a bunch of things going on at once.
What is your favorite meal of the day?
Any meal where there's soup - I’m a big fan of soup!
Who is your favorite celebrity chef?
Jacques Pepin for techniques, Bobby Flay for creative flavor combinations.
What ingredient do you use the most?
Chicken stock - I use it in soups, stews, gravies, mashed potatoes, rice, and drink it seasoned with herbs instead of coffee.
What is your favorite cookbook?
Although I own over 1,000 cookbooks, I always go back to Joy of Cooking as my basic reference.
What are you looking forward to most at the finals?
Meeting Jacques Pepin, meeting the other finalists, getting to know the folks from Manischewitz, seeing some great dishes being prepared.
What would winning mean to you?
It would be a great honor, especially since kosher cooking is still pretty new to me.
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
At age 53, I had life-saving triple-bypass surgery. Since then, I've had to totally re-make my life to honor the second chance I've been given.