Her best-known role is that of a tough CIA agent in the television series Alias. But in the new film Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (opening nationwide on May 1st), she plays up her funny side, showing a confirmed bachelor (played by Matthew McConaughey) that he”s met his match. At home, the Golden Globe-winning actress sets aside her comedic and martial arts skills for her favorite creative challenge: cooking for her husband€”actor Ben Affleck€”and their two daughters.

What would people be surprised to find in your kitchen?
A cabinet full of chocolate.

Name three things you always nbso have in your refrigerator.
Low-fat buttermilk, toasted wheat germ, and yeast.

Describe the perfect snack.
Cheese, crackers, and an apple.

Of all the places you”ve traveled, where did you have the best food?
Hands down, the southern coast of Italy.

What do you like to eat, even though you know you shouldn”t?
My daughter”s leftover noodles and butter.

What”s your drink of choice when you go out?
Red wine.

Where is your favorite restaurant, and what do you order there?
Il Ristorante di Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica, California. But while I wait all year to have their white truffle risotto [served only during truffle season], these days Toscana in Brentwood [in West Los Angeles] is our family favorite.

What”s the most unusual thing you”ve ever eaten?
Shark fin.

What would you never, ever want to eat again?
Shark fin.

Is there a food that always reminds you of home?
Homemade wheat bread.

Where was your most memorable meal?
Daniel in New York. My parents and I had the most relaxed, delicious meal there six years ago. We ate for four and a half hours straight. Both the company and the meal were exquisite.

Do you have a favorite comfort food?
Anything my mom puts in front of me.

What are you having for dinner tonight?
I”m not sure, but I guarantee it will come from a cookbook by Sara Foster or Giada De Laurentiis. I”d better get on it€”thanks for the reminder.