1.You are multi-award winning cookbook author. What made you write your first book? 

I wanted to see all my favorite cake recipes under one cover and to share them! Irena Chalmers approached me to do this book. She was a new publisher and had a concept called "Great American Cooking School Series." My first cookbook: "Romantic & Classic Cakes" was part of that series and served as a dress rehearsal for the much larger "Cake Bible."

2.How much of a passion is home baking to you?

100%. It is my life.

3.What factors do you consider as your success in preparing highly desirable home baking recipes?

Always searching out the best ingredients. Making desserts that are flavored by their distinctive ingredients versus using sugar as the dominant flavor. My food science background enables me to analyze a recipe's components to compare it to similar recipes for ingredients and techniques.Relentless testing and re-testing to find the best method. Also writing the recipes carefully with all the details, especially the weights which make for successful reproduction. 

4.What challenges have you faced in your journey so far? What made you overcome them?

When I started out, fat was the enemy. Soon after sugar followed suit. When working on "The Bread Bible" I had to deal with the popularity of the Atkin's diet where carbs became the new enemy. I ignored all the trends and created my own. Finding an assistant whom I could trust and collaborate with for developing recipes made a huge difference in my productivity.

5.From where do you seek inspiration for your new home baking and other cooking recipes?

From the availability of new ingredients, from my travels, from blogger inquiries and suggestions, and most of all from my imagination.

 6.Which recipe or recipes do you consider your best?

From "The Cake Bible," "the Chocolate Oblivion Truffle Torte," from "Rose's Heavenly Cakes," "The Golden Lemon Almond Cake, from "The Pie & Pastry Bible," the "Cream Cheese Pie Crust," and from "The Bread Bible," "The Cranberry Walnut Bread."

7.Where do you see yourself and your business in five to ten years' time?

In my country home in my dream test kitchen, with my assistant Woody Wolston living much closer by than he is now - several states away. Plus more cookbooks and especially more DVDs. And quite possibly, in 10 years' time, my memoirs of a half century of life in the food world!