I had the urge to examine my life in another culture and move beyond what I knew.

The longer you are in a place, the more you get under its layers.

What has impressed me the most about the Italians whose tables we've sat at is that they are traditional cooks but also outrageously innovative. These people are wild improvisers.

I got the idea that to write books would be the best way to spend a life. I never thought of anything else that seemed like half as much fun, although in my next life I would like to be an architect, too, so I can have an easier time restoring houses.

Living in a small Italian hilltown, and having lived in a small town in south Georgia, I understand that you can recognize a family gene pool by the lift of an eyebrow, or the length of a neck, or a way of walking.

Never lose your childish enthusiasm and things will come your way.

I had the urge to examine my life in another culture and move beyond what I knew.