Who  Kelsey Nixon, host of Kelsey's Essentials on Cooking Channel 

Where  Upper East Side, New York

Time 2 pm – I always seem to get to lunch later than I'd like, but it usually tastes even better when I'm really hungry. 

What's a typical lunch for you? It seems like these days I'm constantly in recipe development mode to keep up with demand for original recipes on my cooking show. That means if I'm making it, I'm writing the recipe down and trying to photograph it at the same time. Usually my lunch consists of whatever I happen to be testing that day! I test all original recipes in my apartment kitchen first before trying them out in the Food Network/Cooking Channel kitchens. Today I'm working on recipes for an episode called "Weeknight Date Night" and made this delicious Tortellini with Lemon & Dill pasta dish for a quick and easy dinner option at home that still feels impressive for that "special someone" in your life. Some days I'm testing recipes for dessert shows, so on those days I get to eat cake for lunch! 

What's your dream/ideal lunch? A picnic in Central Park with friends—complete with watermelon, summer corn salad, sandwiches and ice cold soda pop! 

Dessert with lunch?  Always! Whether it's a piece of chocolate or half of the cupcake that I baked up yesterday, I finish most meals off with something sweet…and refuse to feel guilty about it. 

Thanks Kelsey!
— Joanna

{lunch photo by Kelsey, photo of Kelsey by her husband Robby}