It’s amazing how often people drop by my place around lunch or dinner time on the weekends. We even get the odd brazen breakfast ambush.

My husband, Luc, sees the worst in it and thinks there are meal stealers around every corner. He would like a gated residence so he can eat in peace. On the other hand, I think it’s human nature and I love to feed people. Whether they are led to our doorstep by their sense of smell, or sheer opportunism, I choose to see the best in their arrival and honour them with a meal. Luc thinks I am training people the way we train dogs — a gastronomical Pavlovian response — so I can have company when I am ready for my evening wine or Champagne.