Food that's beautiful to look at seems to taste better than food that isn't.

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.

My inspiration was my mom. She's a great cook, and she still cooks, and we still banter back and forth about cooking. Growing up in a mostly Portuguese community, food was important and the family table was extremely important. At a very young age I understood that.

Mom ran the house, so we grew up Portuguese.

I grew up in Fall River, Massachusetts. My background was modest, and I worked at a Portuguese bakery in town.

Many of my staff have been with me for over 20 years. I have a great team, and I make sure they feel respected and appreciated.

Everyone needs a mentor.