The culinary perfectionist who bakes her cake and eats it too

THERE is a high price to pay for perfectionism, as Mrs Patricia Moussempes well knows. The proprietor of Baker's Dozen has such strong beliefs about food she would rather go hungry than settle for a sub-standard meal. ''I've got to have the real stuff or I'd rather not eat,'' she said. ''No low-calorie substitutes and no artificial flavourings or colours. They drive me crazy.'' Born and raised in Manila, Mrs Moussempes' interest in food, and baking in particular, stems from her childhood. Her mother taught children to cook and was a keen cake baker.

''My mother made wonderful cakes which she used to sell as a family sideline,'' said Mrs Moussempes. ''Fruit cakes were her speciality, but she also made rich chocolate cakes and brownies. She had very good taste.'' This inherited interest led to Mrs Moussempes taking a diploma in hotel and restaurant administration. A desire to travel led her into the airline industry and to a new life in Hongkong. Two years later, she married a Frenchman and the travelling - and exposure to the world's best cuisines - continued apace.

Her passion has also taken her to top French cooking schools and American conventions. After she married, she started a non-commercial business making cakes for friends. But armed with a battery of professional qualifications from such esteemed schools as Roger Verge and Le Notre, she has turned to cake baking and decorating full time.

Being around cakes all day, and rejecting diet foods, Mrs Moussempes pays a price for her high standards. At home, the evening meal is usually a salad.

But there is no question of watching the diet when the Moussempes have friends round for a meal. Sunday lunch is home-made, unpretentious French food.

A favourite Sunday meal starts with individual puff pastry vol-au-vents filled with a mushroom veloute sauce. This is followed by a rich coq au vin served with haricot beans, sauteed baby turnips and dauphinoise potatoes.