melissav

Melissav, a lawyer living in Fort Lauderdale (whose husband owns a wine shop!), has been a formidable presence on food52 since last fall. You may remember her Ciabatta Stuffing with Chorizo, Sweet Potato, and Mushrooms (winner of our Thanksgiving stuffing contest) and her Grilled (or Broiled) Oysters with a Sriracha Lime Butter (winner of our oyster contest) -- both will be showcased in the food52 cookbook.

Every recipe of melissav's submitted to our Editors' Pick community-testing gauntlet comes back with raves -- check out the reviews for her White Potato Pizza with homemade ricotta and her Blood Orange Tea Cake. We love that melissav has a clear knack for sophisticated dishes like Porcini Rubbed Butterflied Roasted Chicken and Israeli Couscous with Roasted Lemons & Capers topped with Seared Scallops & a Lemon Creme Fraiche Drizzle (runner-up for Your Best Scallops) but can still appreciate the joys of comfort foods like her Mommy Elly's Brisket and Totally Inauthentic Tortilla Soup (how can you not love a recipe with a title like that?). See melissav's profile page and fan her here.

Read her profile Q&A below:

• What is the strangest food you have ever eaten?
  Termites, while hiking in Belize.
• What do you cook when home alone?
  Probably a Bacon, Avocado, Tomato, Red Onion, Melted Cheddar Sandwich (sometimes with shrimp) or something involving a fried egg
• Your most treasured kitchen possession:
  chef's knife
• Your ideal meal:
  I would love to experience the French Laundry. Otherwise, a home cooked meal with my husband sitting on the balcony (once the FL weather drops below 80 degrees)
• Something you'd like a chance to eat or cook:
  I would love to have the opportunity to cook with geoduck. I ate it in Seattle and loved it but not available in Florida
• The number of bottles of wine you own:
  Lots - husband owns a wine store
• The ideal number of guests for a dinner party is:
  8
• Kitchen pet peeve:
  Chopping herbs
• Your favorite cookbook:
  Changes weekly, some I love to just read and look at the pictures and others to actually cook from