What’s cooking: Tracy Lucas

Tracy Lucas always has good couverture chocolate, parmesan, chillies, black peppercorns and rock salt. Picture / Carolyn Robertson

Tracy Lucas opened her first City Cake Company in Mt Eden store nine years ago, selling assorted sweet delights, including the company's boutique cakes.

What is your favourite cake?

For me the gin and lemon madeira is hard to beat.

What is your best-selling cake at City Cake Company?

Without a doubt our chocolate Parisian. Ninety per cent of people eat chocolate cake and most people go through all the options and then buy the chocolate cake anyway.

What is best with cake - coffee or tea?

I think a madeira-based cake, such as our lemon syrup, complements tea perfectly. My personal favourite with tea is a sugar-dusted shortbread.

What was the first cake you made?

Banana cake with my Mum when I was 7 or 8. Didn't all Kiwi kids make that?

What is your favourite dish/drink?

Champagne is my first choice and duck - the way the French do it.

What is your favourite restaurant?

The French Cafe. We had the degustation menu there a couple of weeks ago and it was amazing.

What is your favourite bar?

Opium in Aotea Square. It's luxurious and lush.

What is your idea of the perfect meal?

Four friends and a decadent five-course dinner over a few hours. Great food, good wine and stimulating company.

What do you always have in your fridge and kitchen cupboard?

Good couverture chocolate, parmesan, chillies, black peppercorns and rock salt.

What do you eat when you can't be bothered to cook?

Cheese, soup or a good Italian pizza.

What do you think is the most overused ingredient?

Smoked salmon. It seems to appear on crostini, in salads - it is there at every function.

What are your three favourite ingredients?

Parmesan, tomatoes and basil.

What is your favourite cookbook?

That's a hard question. I have more than 100 books but if I have to choose, Penny Oliver's Beach, Bach, Boat and Barbecue. It suits my lifestyle.

Do you have a cooking tip?

When cooking with chocolate use bittersweet chocolate that has a high proportion of cocoa solids - 70 per cent or more.