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Greek goddess Christine Cushing's first love lies in the kitchen.

The host of television's Christine Cushing: Cook with Me is one of Food Network Canada's most popular chefs. For four seasons, her last show, Christine Cushing Live, was a hit showcasing simple, flavorful dishes alongside the diva's bubbly personality.

In her catering days, before she hit the screen, a Dodge Caravan minivan was great for hauling around stuff. But now, the celebrity chef has moved up and her wheels reflect her new-found style and attitude: a 2002 Jeep Liberty Limited Edition 4x4.

"The funny thing is so many chefs drive Jeeps. It's a weird thing. I guess it's sort of a pioneer. We feel like we're renegades. We feel like we're pioneering new ground. We're a little bit more rugged," the dark-eyed brunette laughs.

"I see myself as a hands-on, kind of rugged person -- I'm not a soft and fluffy type. I like to be able to get anywhere regardless of the weather. It's where form meets function and I think that's what Jeep offered me that I loved. The Liberty was a smaller version of the Cherokee, which probably would have been too big for me.

"I'm not rugged like the TJ -- that's just too 'I have a horse, big boots, and I like the cold, kind of thing,' which isn't me either. So this was a good way for the city girl to be a little more rugged and to have something that's stylish and at the same time dependable," says Cushing, who dropped out of linguistics in university to follow the food path.

She studied food and beverage management at George Brown College and later graduated top of her class at the École de Cuisine La Varenne in Paris. But her big break came when she was discovered by a TV producer while flogging small appliances at a food show in 1998.

"Driving is one of the things I absolutely love. I've always loved cars. I've always been into cars and what's new coming out." She even knows what's under the hood of her Liberty: a 3.7-litre V-6 engine. But unfortunately, it's still a thirsty machine -- the only thing she dislikes about her SUV.

There are many likes to list, though, including an upscale leather interior with chrome accents throughout the cabin.

"I also like to be in command of the road. The Liberty allows me that. You sit a little bit higher, you can see the road, and you can anticipate things. . . . I love the ease it goes into four-wheel-drive, too. When you don't need to have it in four-wheel drive it doesn't have to be there. You just lift a little handle when it starts to snow and you can get out of things very easily -- I think that's a fabulous feature," says the petite woman who is currently writing her third cookbook on the secrets of Mediterranean food. Her first two, Dish it Out and Fearless in the Kitchen, were best-sellers.

Unlike the kitchen, Cushing has a no-nonsense attitude behind with the wheel. "I have to say I'm conscious, but I'm definitely aggressive. I'm impatient on the road. I always have to get somewhere and get there fast, which is one of my bad habits. I don't do stupid things, but I am a speeder -- it's not a good thing," she confesses.

Her driving has landed her in hot water, too. "I was going home from a show -- it was my first year doing a live show -- and I was in my minivan. It was late at night. I was exhausted. I was starving. It was just a bad day. I had picked up a pizza; it was in the backseat. I was speeding and the police pulled me over.

"It was 10 o'clock at night, I was just exhausted and I was so distraught. He looked at me and goes, 'Christine Cushing! Do you know that I just watched you this morning? Why are you speeding?' " mimicking the intonation of the cop's deep voice.

To stir the pot, he spotted the box of pizza in the rear. " 'And you're taking a pizza home!' It was so funny. It was hilarious. My face turned eight shades of red . . .," says Cushing, who mastered her craft in renowned kitchens like Toronto's Four Seasons Hotel and Scaramouche restaurant. Incidentally, the cop let her off with a warning.

Cushing has some strict rules on the road: no eating or smoking in her Jeep. "I don't want foreign smells.

"One year we had garlic chives growing in our backyard. We cut them all down and we had garbage bags full of garlic chives. We had to get rid of them because the garbage collectors wouldn't take them. My partner said, 'Let's take your Jeep.' I said, 'We're not putting that in my Jeep! What, are you nuts?' " she blurts out, swallowing her words.

"He goes, 'Well there's no room in my car.' 'Well, we are not putting it in my Jeep!' " she repeats sharply. "And he said, 'Isn't that the point of a Jeep, dear?' He had to take me kicking and screaming!

"Honestly, we were out there at 1 o'clock in the morning cleaning the back of upholstery because I just didn't want that smell to stay in my car," says Cushing, who has her own product line called Pure, which started with an extra virgin olive oil pressed from Koroneiki olives, from her mother's native island of Crete. The line expands to include three tomato sauces in the new year.

When it came to driving, Cushing cut her teeth on a Volkswagen Golf. "My cousin had a Golf. He was going away for a year and he let me use his car. I was the commander of that car.

"I was 18 at the time, but I hadn't learned how to drive a standard. He just showed me a few things. I essentially drove him to the airport and he left. It was the old Terminal 1 and I had to go up those old circular ramps in a standard. Literally, I had driven it twice. Like what was wrong with him? But let me tell you, you learn pretty quickly that way," says Cushing, who moved with her family from Athens to Toronto as a baby.

"I loved driving standard, absolutely loved it. When I was young, it was fun. But now, the roads have a lot more traffic. It really becomes awkward when you're driving a lot in traffic to have a standard."

Cushing's first car was also a Golf she bought with her brother for $16,000. Hands down, her favourite vehicle is still the Jeep Liberty. "The Jeep says I'm sporty, but stylish. I like great quality things, but there's less formality to me."

So far, there's no new car on the horizon. But if I could dish out a dream car, she'd opt for a Porsche 911 in a heartbeat.

pzucco@globeandmail.ca