Ratha Tep

Title: Associate Editor

At Food & Wine since: 2003

Born: Cambodia

Raised: Manhattan and Bloomington, Minnesota

Education: University of Pennsylvania (where I ate surprisingly well off of food trucks: bulgogi, French crêpes, even sushi).

What I Do at Food & Wine: I edit the News & Notes section on new products and trends and research our annual Best New Chefs honors.

Most Embarrassing Moment: When I was working as the host at Big Bowl Restaurant in Edina, Minnesota, I told the Vikings' then-quarterback, Randall Cunningham, that the wait was an hour. Unbelievably, I didn't get fired.

Food Obsessions: Wontons in red oil at Grand Sichuan, thick coffee foam at Joe and lobster rolls at Mary's Fish Camp (all in New York City).

On Cooking in a Bad Kitchen: The kitchen lights in my former apartment didn't work (I cooked by candlelight); my current kitchen has only two feet of counter space.

Most Memorable Dinner Party: Six courses, 15 people, makeshift table of cardboard boxes topped with brown butcher paper and decorated with tea lights. And four cats roaming about.

Favorite Ingredient: Fish sauce, though I have a knack for breaking the bottles-the last time was in a moving van.