RACHEL KHOO

I always say I'm more of a food writer than a TV presenter, because that's what I'm trained in, that's what I spend most of my year doing. TV is about performance and I've never had any training.

I love to draw and paint. I did all the illustrations in my books, so I always have my watercolours with me. I was creative as a child and studied art at Central Saint Martins before getting into food.

I went to art college. I like to be creative. I use food as my medium at the moment but it could easily be illustrations in the future, or something else.

I'm trying to keep my cooking approachable and accessible but with a little fun twist.

I will always look at my little Paris apartment with fond memories but I am too old to be sleeping on a futon bed!

When I studied at the Parisian cookery school Le Cordon Bleu, making shortcrust pastry was one of the first techniques I learned.

I used to have a bit of a thing against starting a meal with soup. I'd find they were often too heavy, filling you up rather than igniting the appetite. Plus, I'd end up mopping it up with scoops of baguette.

The geographical location of Sweden and, therefore, short growing season meant that the range of produce is not as abundant like say France, Italy or Spain. This influenced the cooking culture and forced cooks to be creative with a handful of ingredients. It's a very modern way of cooking.

The Great British summer has many qualities, but unfortunately guaranteed warm weather is not one of them.

While we Brits love a curry, the French get their spicy kicks from the culinary traditions bestowed by their North African population.

I'm always looking for a way to get some spice into my cooking but, generally, the French don't like spicy food.

Warming and nourishing bowls of food are something I love wrapping my hands around when the cold nights drawn in.

Sundays are great for a lie in, a read of the papers, a potter around at home and then brunch, which is normally cheese on toast!

Many a Gallic treat is based on a hearty dose of butter.

I realised filming in my own apartment that it was nice to come home and have some space. It worked for 'The Little Paris Kitchen' but now I've learned a lot about TV; you need space for the camera and you want to be mentally sound after filming.

It's great that Mary Berry got a primetime TV show, but I don't think there are enough women chefs on TV.

I grew up surrounded by generously yielding plum trees, and as a family we were constantly on the hunt for inspired ways to use up the lovely plums before age got the better of them.

I am a big fan of spice. It's not only the intense heat of chilli flakes or a sprinkling of cayenne that gets my taste buds going, but also the deep warmth of cumin and ginger.

I admit it, I do like pickled red onion. I made some the other day. You just slice up the onion, pull it apart and you get these petals and you make a pickling liquid, I make mine sweet and sour.

Education in Bavaria is tough. You fail sports, you have to repeat the year.

To follow my meal, I'd drink a glass of my uncle's homemade apricot schnapps. He puts it in beautiful glass bottles and sells it at his local market in Austria. You don't normally drink with Asian food, so this would be a fitting end to the meal.

Failing ownership of a wood-fired oven, whacking pizza dough straight on to the hot grill is the next best way to achieve that beautiful scorched crust.

I want to push myself. I'm always up for a challenge.

A whole trout is the ultimate Sunday table centrepiece to replace a hearty roast. It looks a little retro with the radish and cucumber scales, but this also adds freshness and acidity.

Eating wantan mee in Malaysia is my earliest memory. The street sellers there have a whole cooking set-up on the front of their bikes.