Eric Parsons / Star staff Jacqueline Civet shows off Gratin Dauphinois, a potato dish served with crème fraîche.

Name: Jacqueline Civet.

City: Ventura.

Specialty: Whatever is available.

Secret: Have fun with it and don't take it too seriously.

Osmotic touch: It must be osmosis that accounts for Jacqueline Civet's rare cooking talent. After all, she displayed absolutely no interest in cooking as a child.

Her mother, on the other hand, was a "great cook" who loved nothing more than hosting adventurous parties, she said. "Mom had fun with her parties," Civet recalled. "She would have a fondue party and, if things didn't go the way she planned, it would turn into a fun, oh-well-this-isn't-working party."

After graduating from college, quitting her job and opting to sail the Caribbean for five months, Civet found herself having to find an on-board job — fast. As luck would have it, the only spot available was that of a cook. So Civet stepped up her culinary skills and soon learned how to make exotic dishes, like Cornish game hens with banana flambé.

What's more, she discovered that she enjoyed the excitement of cooking on the open seas.

"That experience sparked my love of cooking," she said. "And it hasn't stopped since."

Sharing food: For big events and special occasions, Civet's mother, a native of Dauphinois, France, often would prepare a recipe from her homeland: Gratin Dauphinois, a potato dish served with crème fraîche.

"It's great for parties," Civet said, "but it's very rich, so you don't eat very much. You can always have a little bit of something rich, but you don't want to have it all the time."

Sometimes Civet prepares meals with the same mind-set as her grandmother, going into the garden or a farmers market to create a menu.

Over the years, she has adopted her mother's love of spontaneity and frequently entertains friends for dinner. And like her mother, she doesn't spend much time worrying about the food.

"If the meal doesn't work out, it doesn't work out," she said with a smile. "It's the music and the friends. It's not about eating, it's about sharing."

Birthday desserts: If a birthday is to be celebrated, Civet will likely prepare the dessert of choice. A researcher at Amgen in Thousand Oaks, she enjoys the challenge of baking the perfect item for her colleagues. Sometimes it's a chocolate tart, a chocolate espresso swirl cheesecake or a plum raspberry tart that gets the final nod. She also has made chocolate meringue cookies.

Some of her creations are derivations of family recipes from France, others are from friends and some are from cookbooks. But she is adamant about not taking her desserts home.

"I like to make desserts, but I don't keep them in my house."

Gratin Dauphinois

4-5 pounds russet potatoes (the older they are, the better)

Garlic, to taste

Salt and pepper, to taste

15 ounces of crème fraîche (can be purchased at Trader Joe's)

1/8 teaspoon prepared nutmeg (or a couple of gratings of fresh nutmeg)

Cut some garlic and rub it on a shallow casserole pan or dish, about 2 inches in height.

Lightly clean potatoes, but don't get them wet. Peel them; then slice them very thin, using a mandolin slicer, if desired.

Place potato slices in a bowl; then, with your hands, mix the crème fraîche with the potatoes. ("You don't want them to be soupy, but you want them covered," Civet said).

Pour potato mixture in a casserole dish, add salt and pepper to taste, then mix in the nutmeg.

Heat at 375 to 400 degrees for about 60 to 90 minutes.

It should be brown, with a crusty top, and the potatoes should be soft.

— To nominate an amateur chef to be a Cook du Jour, e-mail jprice@VenturaCountyStar.com.