hungry eye 82 P r t L a n d montHL maga ine from toP: dining room, u.s. emBass , toK o rtKL for u.s. state dePartment BarBara L ncH gruPPo W orld-renowned chef Barba- ra Lynch’s latest achievement among many was to be named among Time magazine’s “Top 100 Most Influential People of the Year” in recent weeks, making it clear this South Boston native has more than a sim- ple story to share. As Lynch tours the East Coast do- ing readings and signings of her just- released memoir, Out of Line: A Life of Playing with Fire, she’s opened up her private life for public scrutiny. As a blind journalist, I listened to her book and felt there were still areas to explore, so I made arrangements to meet with her in person. at h me ith LynCh Barbara Lynch has invited me to her Massachusetts home on a Saturday in early summertime. It’s a beauti- ful, sunny day, and we sit at a table on a porch adjacent to her kitchen. We’re joined at the table by Char- lie Petri, whom she married in 1997 (they are currently separated) and their daughter, Marchesa, who was born in 2004. Because I’m blind and hard of hear- ing, the details of my surroundings are ab- sent until Marchesa introduces me to her dog and then begins describing the yard in vivid detail–giving special mention to her trampoline–granting me a cool sense of sight. This and the positive energy felt from around the table ease my pre- interview anxieties, born from the fact that my knowledge of food is limited and how my lack of sight can make me feel awkward. Fortunately all present extend themselves, quickly establishing a comfortable rapport with me as we embark on Lynch’s stories of her career, Camden, and cooking for the Kennedys. the maine C nneCti n M aine has played a role in Lynch’s life through- out her starry profes- sional career. When I ask her about her connection to the state, Camden crops up first. “I’m doing a dinner at