What I’m reading right now… Pier Paul Reid’s The Templars, JD Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye so I can discuss it with my eldest son. And I’ve just finished William Boyd’s Armadillo. William Sitwell’s book on the history of food told through a series of recipes is on the bedside table.

My favourite book growing up… CS Lewis’s Narnia series for the combination of fantasy and adventure; and the Hornblower series at the behest of my Dad who was an naval historian and author.

My all-time favourite book is… books are restaurants the choice of a favourite depends on your mood and what you are after. So I tend not to name “all-time favourites”.

The book I would recommend everyone to read… This might stink of nepotism but I’d suggest Host and Guest by AV Kirwan which I found inspirational writing my Cook Book. It’s 150 years old but its surprisingly current in its thinking on food and entertaining… either that or Harold McGee’s On Food and Cooking.

The book I wish I wrote… pretty much anything by Matthew Reilly then my boys might think I was cool.

My guilty reading pleasure is… evocative and well-researched historical action or crime novels by blokes like Bernard Cornwell.

The book on my bookshelf that I have never read… It’s called How To Kill Your Mother or something like that. I just feel disloyal opening it!

The BRILLIANT book that never should have been turned into a film… The Lorax.

My book is… new. It’s also funnier, longer and betterer than the last one. I’m rather proud of it actually. The recipes are pretty good too… and as for the dirty, filthy double gatefold centrefold… Phew! look out

I’ll never forget… the meals shared with the people I love.

My favourite place is… on the beach or at the table – but never at the same time!

The most dangerous thing I have ever done is… dived with sharks, cornered a tiger snake (by accident obviously) and contradicted Marco Pierre White.

The first time I… cooked alone I was 5. I made baked eggs in a little enamelled pan that my mother had secretly kept and gave to me for Christmas… sweet!

I regret… nothing but there ARE a few things I definitely won’t tell you about… Oh, I suppose I do wish I spent the 800 bucks on buying a 1964, candy-pink Ford Galaxy convertible with cream seats – and the $3000 to buy a John Kelly “cow” painting.

I remember… pretty much everything other than people’s names… My memory is elephantine and while I can remember what they we wearing or what we ate first time we met the names often escape me… I need someone to stand behind me and to whisper them in my ear – US president style!

The one piece of advice I should have listened to but didn’t… always to use the guard on the mandolin.

I love… my family and my friends.

I hate… negativity.

I wish… for world peace and a nice oozy piece of washed rind cheese.

I can’t say no to… cheese.

Yesterday, I… swam in shark-infested waters and spend three hours reading.