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.

Food is very representative of a city's culture. In order to really get to know a place and the people, you've got to eat the food.

Spice is life. It depends upon what you like... have fun with it. Yes, food is serious, but you should have fun with it.

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.

You go to a restaurant in the States and kids have these game boards at the table. You don't see that in Italy or Spain. It's not because they can't afford to buy them, it's because that's not what eating together as a family is about.

I think you have to be careful with spices. Kids' palates can be very delicate, and they might not like things overspiced. In my cookbooks for kids, I do a milder version of my signature spice blend, Emeril's Essence, called Baby Bam, which has no cayenne pepper.

Anything made with love, bam! -it's a beautiful meal.