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To Randi Levin, aka The Muffin Lady, a well-timed brownie can solve all sorts of political and social problems.

She knows the favorite baked good of the staff at the Clear Creek County government offices and what the Evergreen postmaster needs for his sweet tooth.

In many ways, a combination of chocolate, sugar, flour and butter is the way she interacts with the world.

Now she's sharing her language with the world.

Levin is a gregarious woman. Meet her once. Eat one of her cookies and you've made a friend for life.

By the end of the hour, you'll know all the political ins and outs of Evergreen, where she lives. You'll learn that the way her grandmother made a cake is still the best way and you'll most certainly hear about her recent adventure to Europe.

Levin is a rising star in the cooking world.

Her first book, "Baking at High Altitude: The Muffin Lady's Old Fashioned Recipes" recently won "The Best in the World" at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in the Cookbook category.

"This is the Oscars in the cookbook industry," Levin said.

The Best in the World was announced in Grythyttan, Province of Orebro, Sweden, at the Gala Dinner on Feb. 11, 2005, in the presence of the Swedish Minister of Culture and Levin was there.

"It was 2 1/2 days, but it was an utter lifetime," she said.

Levin asked the judges why she won, and they told her they could smell and taste the recipes as they read them.

Levin's book beat out cookbooks from 38 countries written in 49 languages.

Many of the recipes in "Baking at High Altitude" belong to Levin's great-grandmother or her grandmother.

She decided to write them all down and publish them after surviving a brain tumor. While she was in surgery and recovery, her neighbor watched Levin's 11 dogs, 2 cats and horse.

"She refused to take payment, so I made her some cookies," Levin said. "She told me I should market them. So, I did.

"Now, I say, God bless that brain tumor."