I’m an accountant by day and food addict by night.

I’m a born & bred proud South African, a dreamer, a chocolate addict and a very bad procrastinator. But above all I adore creating and experimenting with food and of course eating the end results.

How long have you been a Daring Baker/Daring Cook and what’s your favorite thing about being in the group(s) so far?

I’ve been a member for about 3 months now (going on 4 months), and really enjoy that the Daring Kitchen pushes me out of my comfort zone to make things I wouldn’t normally make (or for those ones that I just need a push to actually go ahead and make!) I love trying new foods, and experiencing different cultures through their food, so something like this is right up my alley.

What is the ultimate comfort food to you?

Bobotie. A South African favourite that evokes warm memories of home.

Other than cooking and/or baking.. what hobbies do you enjoy?

I am a bookworm of note! I will read anything and everything – books, magazines, adverts, websites (I’m sure Google Reader is going to start banning me from adding more subscriptions). I’ve even been caught reading the telephone directory as a little girl. Hey the library was closed, it was a case of desperate times calling for desperate measures!

How long have you been blogging? Do you like it? What’s your favorite post you’ve written?

I’ve been blogging on and off since 2006, but in all earnest since April 2009. I love the creative outlet that blogging gives me, brainstorming & researching new ideas, putting my results into words (I really enjoy writing too), and of course getting feedback from my readers. I still do a happy dance every single time someone comments on one of my posts! I’m a pretty shy person, so I don’t make friends easily in real life, but I really appreciate being part of the blogging community and the open arms with which my fellow bloggers that I’ve “met” (online) so far have welcomed me into their worlds. Wow, there are so many posts that hold a special meaning to me, but one that stands out is my first Daring Cooks challenge, in which I made sushi. My creative juices worked overtime with this one and I ended up putting an Indian twist on traditional sushi favourites. The entire process just filled me with so much joy and it was a great intro to the Daring Kitchen.

Is there one food that you seriously dislike/hate? If so, which is it and why?

Raw celery. I just don’t like the flavour – it’s so overpowering! I will eat it cooked though, when the flavour has mellowed out a little.

Do you have a food addiction?

Chocolate! And most other sweet things. My sweet tooth is going to take over the world some day.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Garlic. I use it in pretty much everything, whether the recipe calls for it or not. I haven’t tried it in chocolate though (yet - the next big seller perhaps?).

What kind of colors do you like? Pastels? Earth tones? Brights? Neons? Etc.

Brights all the way! That goes for clothing and for decorating our apartment.

What’s your favorite “sweet” spice? How about your favorite “savory” spice?

My favourite sweet spice would have to be cinnamon for sure. Although having said that I also particularly enjoy its savoury applications (eg in a Moroccan tagine). For favourite savory spice, cumin wins hands down. There is just something about it’s complexity in flavour which really appeals to me and makes it super versatile.

What’s your favorite herb to cook or bake with? Do you prefer fresh or dried?

Coriander – fresh. A very distinctive flavour, but not so overpowering that you can’t use handfuls of it at once. Although I do like strong flavours, so handfuls might not suit everyone’s palate!

You can visit Marisa on her blog The Creative Pot