I often say that eggs and sugar should be beaten until they thicken and pale and sometimes, when there are lots of yolks, that's lemon colored.

Do the work you are most proud of

When I'm developing a recipe with brown butter - I know how much butter I want in the end and I so I start with more butter than I'll need.

Sometimes I think there are devils at work in the kitchen - recipes that are always perfect sometimes come out less than perfect and I can't figure out why.

I don't know if there's a method that I'd like to see younger people bring back, I just want to see everyone of every age in the kitchen.

You can use melted butter instead of oil, but your cake may be a little denser.

Adam Roberts is an original: smart, funny, talented, endlessly inquisitive, an A student and, happily for us, an A+ teacher. Everyone from beginner cooks to sure hands will learn something new on each page. And even if, like Adam's mom's, your stove stores shoes and handbags, you'll still be charmed by Secrets-it's a great read.