There are few women in America that don't want to lose 5 pounds, but I refuse to let that thought dominate my life. And there are too many other real problems in the world - real obesity problems and real hunger problems - to worry that much about a few pounds that I'd like to lose.

There's not a single chef I know of that does not think about the politics of the food they're serving.

My mother's kitchen was built to be the focal point of our house. I got into the kitchen often as a child.

Find combinations of flavors you love and buy the best quality ingredients you can afford. Your food is only going to be as good as the sum of its parts, like anything else.

I eat for a living, so working out is definitely part of my job, the same way that the eating, tasting, and drinking is. I try to keep up a consistent workout routine, but I'm not the kind of person who goes to the gym every day and does the same routine.

There is no better way to bring people together than with desserts.

In America, Blackberry Farm in Tennessee is one of the most amazing hotels I've had the privilege of staying at.