Nominated by Cathy McCabe:

"My dear friend Catalina Scarso turns every dinner event into an occasion. For three years she ran a restaurant, Catalina's, near Clairmont and LaVista roads, which was very successful. When it closed, a whole section of town went into mourning.

"She is a native Italian who has lived in Argentina and Venezuela. Thus, her culinary talents cover many cuisines. But what brings them together is a style and flair that are unique to her.

"Some of her friends are fortunate to be the beneficiaries of her culinary talents and largess. She has catered several weddings at her home and is always the preferred hostess for the monthly 'Chancha' Italian-language group meetings. Sunday brunch on her patio is nothing less than an experience."

Catalina Scarso has lived and traveled all over the world. Though she has absorbed much from the varied cultures she has experienced, her advice about successful cooking is surprisingly simple: "Love what you cook and love your guests."

It's a maxim she learned in the home of her Italian grandmother, who, in a simpler time, set an example of love and generosity that lives on through Scarso and the lives of people she touches.

Family/background: "My whole family still lives in Italy, in the Veneto region, in Verona, Vicenza, Padova and Venezia."

Career: "For 20 years I have worked in international adoptions. I have placed more than 2,000 children from Central and South America, Eastern Europe and China."

Hobbies, interests: "Cooking, running, reading, traveling, but most of all, spending time with my family and friends. I just returned from my cousin's wedding in Sonoma, Calif., attended by all of my family who traveled from Italy. We cooked two meals a day for one week for 30 to 50 people. I am exhausted now and I need a vacation from that vacation!"

Who taught you to cook? "My grandmother and my mother, but my sister Cristina, who lives in Italy, is the best cook of the family. She still makes the most fabulous meals, but her kitchen is always messier than mine. She and her husband own a restaurant, Grand Cavour, in the historic part of Verona."

How did your love of cooking develop? "More than my love for cooking, it is my love for entertaining family and friends at home. I just had to copy what my grandmother did. She had 10 children. We all gathered around her table on Sunday. By the time we arrived at her house, she would have already gone to mass and was making the noodles by hand, which were always perfect."

Culinary roots: "My family and Italy, mostly from the northern region, where I think the food is lighter and less elaborate."

Cooking style: "Eclectic and most importantly, healthy. I have lived in Italy, Argentina, Venezuela, Singapore, England and the U.S. as well as traveled to many countries all over the world. I learned a bit of this and a bit of that in each one of them from my friends."

Early food memory: "My grandmother's chicken soup with homemade tagliatelle and polenta e osei, which are little birds that can be eaten with one or two bites, bones and all, cooked in a wine sauce."

What is the most enjoyable aspect of cooking? "Sharing it with family and friends. I love it when they ask me for a doggy bag."

Specialties: "I just cook what is light and good and tasty and whatever is freshest at the market."

Culinary achievements: "I owned a successful restaurant in Decatur for a few years. It was supposed to be my hobby but I never gave up my 'real' job, which is adoptions. It was impossible to manage both. Of course, it is more rewarding to place orphaned children in adoptive homes than preparing marinara sauce, but I made many very good friends and met many very nice people at the restaurant. It was a wonderful experience and well worth it."

Culinary ambitions: "I already fulfilled them. Owning my restaurant, Catalina's, with my daughter Liliam, who is an excellent cook and makes the best desserts. In fact, she made the desserts at the restaurant. We are a good team, since I do not bake and do not like sweets."

What is your favorite thing to cook? "Farfalle al Salmone (bow-tie pasta sauteed with salmon, shallots and herbs in a light creamy sauce), Vitello alla Zingara (Gypsy veal scallopini sautˇed with prosciutto, olives, mushrooms, shallots and spices), oranges, carrots, onions and black olives salad, and a thousand other dishes."

Do you have a tip for today's cooks? "Your food will be as good as the herbs and ingredients you use are fresh."

Favorite cookbook: " 'Le Buone Ricette dei Conventi' [Good Convent Recipes]. Have you ever met a thin monk or priest? I got it in Italy a long time ago. It has a little bit of this and a little bit of that, but every recipe is a good one."

When I eat out I like to order: "Whatever I see featured as the best dish of that restaurant in the AJC. Before I opened my restaurant, I spent two years reading the section and visited almost all of the restaurants featured in it."

If you could prepare a fantasy meal for anybody, who would it be and what would you cook? "My very good friend, Mark Lobato, who works for the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]. Most likely it would be some type of seafood casserole and an outstanding dessert."

-- Betty Parham

SALAD

Catalina's Ginger Mustard Asparagus Salad

Makes 6 servings

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 3-7 minutes

"This is the easiest thing in the world to make. It only takes about 10 minutes, but people never fail to comment on it and want the recipe. It is a wonderful side dish and goes with anything." The salad can be served warm, room temperature or cold.

2 bunches asparagus, hard ends discarded

1/2 tablespoon grated ginger

2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook asparagus in boiling water until just tender and drain. In a small bowl, mix the ginger, mustard, olive oil and vinegar. Pour the dressing over the asparagus and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Per serving: 180 calories (percent of calories from fat, 92), 1 gram protein, 3 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 18 grams fat, no cholesterol, 126 milligrams sodium.

We're looking for Georgia home cooks who deserve recognition for their talents and have interesting recipes to share. E-mail kitchen @ajc.com or write to Betty Parham, Food Department, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 72 Marietta St. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30303. Give us your name and phone number, as well as the name and number of the cook you'd like us to consider. And tell us a little about what makes this cook special.

Who are the best cooks? We're looking for Georgia home cooks who deserve recognition for their talents and who have interesting recipes to share. Fax at 404-526-5509, e-mail kitchen@ajc.com or write to Betty Parham, Food Department, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 72 Marietta St. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30303. Give us your name and phone number, as well as the name and number of the cook you'd like us to consider. And tell us a little about what makes this cook special.