What menu would you choose?
New Zealand whitebait fritters, coconut and tamarind duck curry, and an Alphonso mango for pudding.
What cocktail would you serve as an aperitif?
Margarita.
Where would you eat the meal?
On a sunny day at Cape Reinga, (nearly) the northern-most point in New Zealand.
Which chef would you ask to cook the dinner?
I'd cook it. I'd hate to have to comment on my last meal. I'd rather be left alone to enjoy it.
What wine would you match with the dishes?
They would all be New Zealand wines. Craggy Range Les Beaux Cailloux 2001, Seresin Pinot Noir 2001, Seifried 2001 Riesling Ice Wine.
What kind of bread would you serve?
Freshly baked naan bread.
Which 12 people would you invite?
My partner of 15 years, Michael McGrath; my three sisters and their partners; my parents and step-parents; Tarik and Savas, who own Changa restaurant in Istanbul. I'd have to allow for one extra as my parents have both remarried but, as 13 may be considered unlucky, I'd ask American composer-singer Rufus Wainwright as well.
What music would you choose?
Roland Gift could sing live. He has the voice I most admire, and he's a friend.
Which flowers would you have decorating the table?
If it were early in the year, I'd have pohutakawa blossoms all over the table. It's a bright red, bottle-brush-type bloom.
What would you wear?
Casual, so we could perhaps have a swim after dinner.
Which critic would you ban at the door?
It's one event none of them would know about.
Who would you have as your after-dinner speaker?
My grandmother Molly, but as she's been dead for a few years I guess that, if I could see her, I'd already be gone.
What type of coffee/tea would you serve?
Fresh lemon grass and tamarind tea, machiato coffee.
What petits fours would you eat with the coffee?
Wildbite (my sister Tracey's company) ginger and biscotti, fig and pistachio friands, and Turkish figs stuffed with walnuts.