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

Radishes grow just about anywhere. People think, 'Oh it's just a radish.' But radishes are delicious, and people don't think of cooking them.

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

I don't limit myself.

When I cook with my son, I might chop vegetables and have fun with different shapes. Cooking is a way to teach kids about other things, like reading or math with all of the weights and measures. There are so many things that are part of cooking that are also very educational.

I make some of my best recipes with a simple homemade stock. Keep shrimp shells stored in a plastic bag in the freezer. When you have almost a gallon-bag full, you can make a stock in 30 minutes that you can use in soups and sauces. You can then freeze the stock in ice-cube trays.

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.