1. Your book has more recipes (61) than boyfriends (5). What does that say about you? I only need one man at a time, though I need a variety of meals every single day. It also says, I'm not a 'ho,' but I am a cook.

2. What inspired you? Ilene Beckerman's memoir, Love, Loss, and What I Wore (1995), pairs pithy and poignant text with charming sketches of herself in the outfits she wore during happy and sad moments. My concept was to write a sort of "Love, Loss, and What I Cooked."

3. Could your book affect your love life? I worry a little that men will be even more terrified of me than they were before. But what can I do? Love hasn't worked out for me. Publishing has. You gotta go with what works.

4. You've changed names and identifying details. Will your ex-boyfriends recognize themselves? Absolutely. … The ones I keep in contact with know about the book and have been supportive.

5. And their reactions? One of them is really excited. An author himself — of young-adult fiction — he said, 'If your book is a best seller, that means that I'm a best seller!' He's sort of an awful boyfriend, but he can be a nice friend at times.