Stylist, food writer and presenter of Channel 4's Cook Yourself Thin, Gizzi Erskine grew up in Dumfries before attending Leith's School of Food and Wine, followed by a stint at the BBC Good Food magazine.
What's the best meal you've ever had?It was one I had fairly recently. My boyfriend surprised me with dinner at La Petite Maison, a fabulous Niçoise restaurant in London. We drank red wine and shared tuna carpaccio and a roast ch
icken that was stuffed with fois gras, and finished up with tarte tatin. Amazing company and amazing food.
What's the worst meal you've ever had?I've had so many it's hard to choose. I have a problem with restaurants that place more emphasis on being trendy than on delivering good food.
What's in your fridge?I always have tons of fresh herbs. There's also a bottle of champagne, some chocolate, Greek yoghurt, some rib-eye steaks, a whole organic chicken and loads of veggies.
What's your hangover fix?I am a pro at this. Two Nurofen before bed, a can of Coke when you wake up followed by a bacon sarnie (or a full-on cooked breakfast if it's the weekend) and, depending how bad it is, some more Nurofen. Then a bloody Mary.
Do you have a guilty pleasure?Millionaire's shortbread with a cup of hot chocolate. I can make a rosemary-scented salted caramel that is divine in millionaire's shortbread.
What's your classic stand-by recipe?I can throw curries together without a thought. I spent a lot of time in Thailand growing up and have a close bond with South-east Asian food.
Who would you invite to a fantasy dinner party?Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers – two of the funniest men I've ever seen; Fanny Cradock – I'd like to know what she makes of the food world these days; Chuck Berry – he influenced all the bands I love and has an amazing story; Keith Richards – I could also rely on him to get the party started; Coco Chanel – my fashion icon; and Betty Page – I modelled myself on her look for most of my teens and early-20s.
Which food says 'home' to you?My mum's shepherd's pie, roasts and crumble.
Have you ever been on a diet?Every diet under the sun! But there are no quick-fixes. Now I believe in eating what you want, but cooking it savvier and cutting down on portion sizes.
Do you buy organic?I insist that the meat and fish I eat is free-range, but I think just eating fresh fruit and vegetables is more important than where they come from.
The full article contains 445 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
