You love being in the kitchen. Have you been a cook?

“I moved up here in January, 2002. I was going to quit music. I had a brochure for the Western Culinary Institute, but that’s as far as I got, because I started working at Dante’s, and the owner finagled me to sing in his club.

“When I first moved up, I had considered marketing my own food products or starting my own business. Just a cart, selling soup. It would be organic soup—local produce, both vegan and omnivorous options. In the fall, I love to make stewed lamb shank in a bit of a saffron broth. I love to cook. I don’t get a chance to when I’m touring so when I come home I’m like…”

She growls and paws at her stovetop. The noodles and peas have simmered. Storm turns off the heat.

“Let that sit for a little while. Rice noodles are pretty starchy… The best thing on rice noodles in a savory broth is toasted sesame oil. Mmmm.”

She begins hunting through the condiments on her counter—past Egyptian mint sauce, three different types of Tabasco, and her favorite, Crystal Hot Sauce. She realizes with great disappointment that she’s all out of toasted sesame oil.

What would you cook to seduce someone?

“Okay, if I’m trying to seduce someone, they definitely eat meat. I would probably do slow food—something that took a long time to cook. I would do an artichoke heart salad tossed with some spearmint leaves; arugula; a heavy, sweet balsamic; and some crisped pancetta.”

She pauses.

“Or maybe just artichokes. Artichokes are hot. They’re usually with a drizzly, drizzly sauce. For dinner… I like the idea of eating with your hands, so maybe Cornish game hens. For dessert: flourless chocolate torte with tangerine or coconut sorbet.”

She opens her freezer.