I feel it is an obligation to help people understand the relation of food to agriculture and the relationship of food to culture.

Always explore your garden and go to the market before you decide what cook.

Cooking and shopping for food brings rhythm and meaning to our lives.

Cooking creates a sense of well-being for yourself and the people you love and brings beauty and meaning to everyday life. And all it requires is common sense – the common sense to eat seasonally, to know where your food comes from, to support and buy from local farmers and producers who are good stewards of our natural resources.

It's a comfort to always find pasta in the cupboard and garlic and parsley in the garden.

Let things taste the way they are.

If our public school system is a truly democratic institution. It's the place where we can reach every child in this county from kindergarten. What an opportunity to edibly educate them. I don't just mean a glorified cooking class. I've never thought of it that way. I have always thought of it as a way to empower students to learn, to give them confidence, and to nourish them. So, I think the centerpiece has to be a free, sustainable school lunch for every child.