We asked Nicholas Gilman, contributing Mexican editor to the World edition, to answer the Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery Questionnaire. There are only two rules – you have to tell the truth, and do it with Love.

Born in New York City, Nicholas Gilman is a food writer and critic based in Mexico City. His website, goodfoodmexico.com, has been recognised by Saveur as the go-to for food writing in Mexico City. He was editor and photographer for Mexico City: An Opinionated Guide for the Curious Traveler (CreateSpace) and author of Good Food in Mexico City: Food Stalls, Fondas and Fine Dining (CreateSpace), which won a Gourmand Cookbook award in 2008. He has been interviewed on radio and featured in various publications and has written for Surface magazine, Portland Monthly, Food & Wine, CS Monitor, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, New York magazine, The Guardian, Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, Food & Travel, Zester Daily, El Financiero (Mexico), and msn.com.

What is your idea of perfect happiness? Being someplace where the food is amazing and eating.

What is the purest thing you have ever tasted? Honey from Provence that a friend gave me.

What is the best thing you can do with your hands? Make pasta.

What do you love most about what you do? Constantly tasting new foods, and the thrill of discuovering new restaurants that are great.

What do you consider the most overrated ingredient? Right now, kale.

What’s the best thing you’ve ever been taught? To take what you learn about doing a specific thing (such as cooking something) from various sources and put them together.

Is there anything you don’t particularly care to eat? Insects – they’re very common and fashionable now in Mexico, but I just don’t enjoy eating them.

When was the last time you ate out, and where? At a small Italian restaurant I just discovered and wanted to try again.

Are there any mentors or food heroes you would like to thank? Julia Child, Anthony Bourdain and Jonathan Gold, but too late!

What are your favourite books or cookbooks? Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Rick Bayless’ Authentic Mexican, and Anthony Bourdain’s The Nasty Bits.

What do you make from scratch? Pasta, sauerkraut, dill pickles.

What would you be doing if you weren’t doing what you are doing? That’s the problem! Travelling more, maybe.

How do you like to spend your day off? Catching up on back issues of the New Yorker, and cooking.

What does success mean to you? Being recognized as an expert in my field.

What are the qualities you most admire in others? Honesty, integrity and passion.

Can you tell us something we don’t know about you? I’ve had a passion and curiosity about food since I was a small child; I always wanted to know what other people ate, especially from other countries.

If you could eat only one thing today, what would it be? Some kind of rice.

What do you see when you think of the cuisine of your own country? I see how much I DON’T know.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse? “Local”, “authentic”, “chef”.

What do you think the food of the future will look like? I just hope it looks like 'food'; I think it’s time to go back to rustic presentation and simple recipes.

With apologies to Marcel Proust.