Mom ran the house, so we grew up Portuguese.

One big reason I do what I do is there's no two days alike. It's not work for me. It's my life. My passion.

Life just doesn't hand you things. You have to get out there and make things happen. that's the exciting part.

I love to cook; that's my passion.

I have a lot of influences. I'm American-schooled. I'm classically trained. I'm a pretty universal student, if you will. I have a lot of degrees, which really don't pay the rent. I have two doctorate degrees, I have a bachelor's degree, but I'm still a cook.

You are going to be what you put in your body, so I try to teach that to my kids, and the kids around me.

I ended up turning down a full scholarship of music at the conservatory to pay to go to cooking school.